The Yeomans Cottage, Eastbridge Hospital

Reviews (7)

• Michael Bywater

  Stayed in the Yeomans apartment in mid December, which was our first trip to Canterbury. As with other reviews we were met on arrival by the very pleasant concierge (Julie) who gave us a guided tour of Eastbridge Hospital on way to our apartment. The location couldn't be any better for the fact as soon as you walked out of the main door you are straight onto the buzzing main street of the city, where everything is within a short stroll. The apartment was very clean albeit being very old with modern facilities coupled with the architecture of the distant past, complete with wood beams and sloping floors. All in all a we had a very comfortable stay.

• Michael Barr

  Lovely cottage in the heart of Canterbury but as quiet as a countryside retreat. The only noise is the occasional chatter from the sightseeing boat as it sails past. You enter through the High Street door which takes you through the mediaeval building to the cottage. The cottage is small but perfectly formed, with all mod cons. Well nearly all, as there is no TV, but there is a good WiFi signal so we were fine with our laptop.We were met at Reception by Julie the concierge who gave us a quick tour round the old building with a potted history of the establishment. Julie, a really lovely person, has a great sense of humour and is easily contactable if needed. We've been coming to Canterbury for many years and love the history and the culture here. The Yeoman's Cottage is the best place we have stayed in so far. Hopefully we will stay again

• Chris

  The Yeomans Cottage at Eastbridge Hospital is a wonderful and truly unique way to experience Canterbury. We were fortunate enough to stay there for three magical days in November 2025. The cottage is a part of Eastbridge Hospital, which was established in the 1100s by the Archbishop of Canterbury as a place of hospitality to pilgrims.For a building that is over eight hundred years old, the Hospital is well preserved and lovingly maintained. One extraordinarily cool thing about staying at the Yeomans Cottage is that many interior areas of the Hospital that are not currently open to the public are however accessible at no charge to cottage guests, who are free to wander around and check out those areas at their leisure and at their own pace. Those same interior areas include original architectural details that are many centuries old, as well as an impressive array of historical artifacts. To be inside the place is akin to stepping into a time machine, definitely a major treat for anyone with even a passing interest in history.The Yeomans Cottage has its own private entrance, which is reached via a short walk through the Hospital's interior and a couple of short corridors. The cottage has two floors, with a living room and a modern kitchen on the first floor, and a bedroom and bathroom on the upper floor. Both floors have terrific, up-close views of the Great Stour, a picturesque narrow river that winds through Canterbury, and on which can be seen the occasional passing gondola-like boat, filled with visitors on a river tour of the area. The cottage also faces the Franciscan Gardens, located on the opposite bank of the river. It is a multi-acre complex of gardens and trails that are about as storybook-like as you can get. As an outdoor environment, the exterior of the cottage and its immediate surroundings are such that no matter which direction you point a camera, the resulting photo will probably come out looking like a postcard. The place is simply that visually stunning.The cottage is immaculately clean, has modern amenties, and is reasonably priced. It also could not possibly be more centrally located within Canterbury, being more or less in the center of the town's High Street, and thus close to all of the major attractions in the area and near many good restaurants and lots of shopping (including a small supermarket a few doors down from the Hospital's entrance). Incredibly, the hustle and bustle of the High Street becomes almost completely inaudible the moment you close the Hospital's door behind you, and the quietness is a welcome respite. But re-open the door, and you're once again instantly in the center of the action. The cottage also comes with its own dedicated parking space in a nearby car park.Perhaps the most striking feature of the Yeomans Cottage, though, is that it somehow manages to balance centuries-old interior architectural details with modern comforts in such a way that: (1) fully preserves the feel of a very old and historical place; and (2) still offers guests a complete range of 2025-era amenities, including Wi-Fi.Julie, the concierge of Eastbridge Hospital, is a delight to interact with and made our stay smooth and enjoyable. She was very thorough in explaining to us the key points of the Hospital, of the cottage, and of the area. She also has a good sense of humor. At one point I asked her, for example, what the technical term was for the person who propels and steers the punt (i.e., the aforementioned gondola-like boats seen from the cottage's windows) and she replied "You mean the man with the stick." Also, she absolutely saved the day when we arrived to the Franciscan Gardens gift shop a few minutes after it appeared to have closed for the day. (Thanks again, Julie!)All in all, I wholeheartedly recommend the Yeomans Cottage at Eastbridge Hospital. Really a terrific place to stay, as well as a genuinely unique and memorable experience.