YHA Canterbury

Located close to the town centre, YHA Canterbury provides a great base from which your school group can explore this beautiful Roman city. Facilities include Internet access and group catering - perfect for a school trip!

Book your YHA School Trip.

Volunteering with YHA is a fantastic way to have fun, learn new skills, boost your CV and travel to different places. We have a variety of different opportunities to choose from and volunteering roles to suit everyone.  

The tasks are varied and in return you will meet some great people, who both work and stay in our hostels, as well as enjoying your time off discovering the local area and attractions.

Find out more and apply to volunteer at this hostel through YHA volunteering.

Ellerslie was built in 1875 and forms part of Canterbury's rich heritage of Victorian gothic style buildings.  Formerly a private residence to various wealthy prominent figures, many interesting relics from previous occupants are listed in the census, and there are some fantastic pictures of the maids servicing the property at that time.

YHA Canterbury boasts the longest-standing presence of a city YHA since our organisation was founded in 1930, occupying three other properties prior to the acquisition of our current home in 1962. It underwent a small refurbishment in the 1980s to improve the catering facilities and at that time squeezed over 100 beds into the rooms. Ellerslie then received the best 50th birthday present from YHA – a £600K makeover to reduce the dormitory sizes and increase the number of ensuite rooms.  The work to the house has been sympathetically carried out, being mindful of the heritage, fantastic original staircase, ornate coving and woodwork. The refurbishment of this house is a great reflection on our reinvestment programme and will enable us to continue to welcome over 17,000 guests each year to this fine city. 

YHA Canterbury Manager Niki: "Hello! I am Niki Reynolds and I have been privileged enough to manage YHA Canterbury (otherwise known as Ellerslie) for 16 years and raise my two young children in this fantastic city. I first worked here with my husband Andy Reynolds – who later went on to open London's flagship YHA London Central and then became London’s area manager. I have enjoyed seeing YHA evolve from the days of paper diaries and daily lock-outs to the professional organisation we are proud to work in today – our IIP Gold and TT100 accolades are testimony to a happy workplace, with charity and reinvestment at the heart of what we do. I have seen Ellerslie go through many changes too, from the early days of sewing my own patchwork curtains into the bedrooms, to the state-of-the-art facilities and top quality finishes we have today. My Duty Manager - Heather Bowman is my wing-man, and we have a fantastic new team. We also have a regular cycle of new work placement student volunteers who we fully train as part of their educational programme."

Manager recommends: Try a gentle walk along the City wall to the Castle, through the Westgate gardens and back through town. Visit the Cathedral, followed by a river boat tour, some shopping at Whitefriars and then back to your accommodation for a few drinks in the bar! The perfect weekend city break. Or fill up on a Full English and then embark on a walk around the ancient city wall and on to the top of Dane John Mound to take in the view. Follow up with a picnic in the Dane John Gardens.