Driving Lessons Canterbury

Learning to Drive in Canterbury

The national average driving lessons required to pass the practical driving test is 47 hours with a driving instructor and an additional 22 hours of private practice with a family or friend are recommended.

Canterbury’s Driving Test pass rate compared to other cities across the UK is lower than the national average sitting at 46.8%.

The test centres in Canterbury are New Dover Road which has a pass rate of 46.8%, Herne Bay at 51.9%, and Ashford at 48.9%.

The nearest additional driving test centres for Canterbury are in Gillingham with 56.7%, Maidstone at 53.9%, Southend-on-Sea with 51.4%, and Basildon which has a slightly lower pass rate of 51.3%.

Canterbury Practical Driving Test Centres

• Ashford, (Canterbury), Ground Floor, Civic Centre, Tannery Lane, Ashford TN23 1PL
• Basildon, (Canterbury), (wheelchair accessible), Paycocke Road, Basildon, SS14 3JS
• Canterbury, (Canterbury), 25 New Dover Road, Canterbury CT1 3AS
• Folkstone, (Canterbury), Palting House, Trinity Road, Folkstone CT20 2RH
• Gillingham, (Canterbury), Unit 1, Astra Park, Courteney Road, Gillingham ME8 0EZ
• Herne Bay, (Canterbury), Altria Business Park, Margate Road, Thanet Way, Herne Bay CT6 6GZ
• Maidstone, (Canterbury), Unit 1 North Court, South Park Business Village, Armstrong Road, Maidstone ME15 6JZ
• Southend-on-Sea, (Canterbury), The Tickfield Centre, Tickfield Industrial Estate, Tickfield Avenue, Southend-on-Sea SS2 6LL

Canterbury Theory Test Centres

• Canterbury, (Canterbury), Suite E, The Clock Tower Building, St Georges Street, Canterbury CT1 2LE
• Chatham, (Canterbury), 14 – 16 High Street, Chatham ME4 4EP
• New Romney, (Canterbury), St Mary’s Bay Village Hall, 15 Jefferstone Lane, Romney Marsh TN29 0SW
• Southend-on-Sea, (Canterbury), Third Floor, Tylers House, 5 Tylers Avenue, Southend-on-Sea SS1 2BB

Quick Links

• Book your driving test
• Book your Theory Test
• Change your driving test appointment
• Driving test: cars

Canterbury – did you know?

1. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the Church of England’s spiritual leader and also sits as a senior member of the House of Lords in Parliament. The first Archbishop was St Augustine who was appointed to his role in 597.
2. The first nine Archbishops of Canterbury were given sainthoods, recognising them for their holy work and affirming their place in heaven.
3. The word describing a horses pace between trotting and galloping – the canter – comes from the speed pilgrims rode their horses to enter Canterbury before the night-time curfew. It’s also known as a “Canterbury trot”.
4. The world’s first season ticket for a train was issued for a recurring trip between Canterbury and Whitstable in 1834.
5. In the 16^th Century, the Archbishop of Canterbury was burnt at the stake. Rather than being executed so horribly for witchcraft, Thomas Cramer was a leader of the Reformation and a pioneering ecclesiastical figure who was burned alive for heresy.
6. The Author of Canterbury Tales, Chaucer, never actually visited Canterbury. The closest he ever got to being in the city was in 2016 when a statue in his likeness was unveiled there.
7. The oldest school In England is in Canterbury. The King’s School was built in 597 and is thought to be the oldest school that’s still functioning as a school in Europe.
8. More than twenty percent of Canterbury’s residents are students. This is the highest ratio of students to the general population in the whole country.
9. Pamplona may be famous for bull runs today, but back in the medieval period and up until the 19^th Century, Canterbury also held bull-running events.
10. In the 17^th Century, Canterbury was the refuge for Huguenots, French-speaking protestants fleeing from persecution and war in the Netherlands. These refugees brought silk weaving skills to Canterbury.