A bold vision to re-imagine parts of Canterbury and mould the city into a "world-class" destination has been fully revealed.

Council bosses have spent months drawing up multiple projects to transform a host of landmarks, gardens and walkways.

Now, a formal bid for a £20 million share of the government's Levelling Up cashpot to help fund the series of schemes has been submitted.

Titled Canterbury's Tales of England, the project is centred on bolstering the multitude of heritage assets the city has to offer, and creating a visitor journey for tourists to embark on.

That journey will see people directed from a revamped Canterbury West station to the Guildhall, which is to undergo a major redesign and become the city's main welcome centre.

From there, visitors will learn of new routes around the city centre and head out to explore.

Locations earmarked for an overhaul include Canterbury Castle, Tannery Field, the city wall, Dane John Gardens, Poor Priests’ Hospital and Castle Street multi-storey car park.

A new 'innovation district' is planned for Station Road West and Roper Road, with a new entrance for platform 2 of Canterbury West station also being created.

The council is hopeful of securing the Levelling Up money to pave the way for the projects to begin.

Canterbury has been ranked by the government as a ‘high priority’ location, meaning it stands a good chance of claiming the cash.

A separate £13 million bid to develop Herne Bay in to a top music location, centred on improvements at the King's Hall and bandstand has also been submitted.

Council leader Ben Fitter-Harding said: “We are incredibly excited to have submitted our Levelling Up bids.

"It’s a wonderful moment, the culmination of months and months of really hard work from people across the council and at various partner organisations.

“We’ve really gone full throttle for this so that we have the very best chance of both bids being successful and can bring about the change we want to see."

Focused heavily on the digital age, the council is hoping to use technology to enhance visitor experiences.

In submitting the bid, the council said: "It is often said that Canterbury is England in miniature as our story is so closely entwined with the nation’s.

"We therefore have an exciting opportunity to tell the story of over 1,000 years of English history through the eyes of the city.

"By presenting Canterbury as a microcosm of England’s wider story, we will enhance its destination appeal and give it a compelling and authentic narrative at the centre of the great sweep of history, from early Roman settlements to the founding of the Christian church in England."

One of the key aims of the project is to "reinvent Canterbury as a world-class heritage and cultural destination to encourage longer visits, overnight stays, and exploration of our rich heritage by residents and visitors''.

While the £20 million Levelling Up cash will not cover the costs of the whole project, it is hoped remaining money will be raised from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and other investors.

The council says it has a "once-in-a-generation opportunity to create an exciting new innovation district" next to Canterbury West station - offering office, workshop and studio space.

Two complexes are planned, one for Station Road West next to the Goods Shed, and the other in Roper Road.

Thanks to the high-speed rail link, the council is confident it can attract high-skilled jobs and new businesses to boost the local economy.

Ground level access to platform 2 of Canterbury West is planned to be introduced, along with a new pedestrian bridge linking the business complexes.

The platforms are to be extended and improved access to reduce passenger congestion at the station's main entrance will be carried out.

Welcome centre and Westgate Square

Currently used as the Guildhall council chamber, the former Holy Cross Church next to Westgate Towers is envisaged to play a major role in the city's reboot.

It would become the new welcome centre to Canterbury, acting as the go-to destination for tourists to start their journey learning about the city's history.

A large interactive digital map table will take centre stage, and a new extension built in the existing graveyard will house toilet facilities.

Immediately outside the Guildhall is the busy St Peter's Place which bends traffic through Westgate Towers. Under the council's bold plans, that stretch is envisaged to become a pedestrian-friendly 'shared space' zone.

To host events such as the Medieval Pageant, it will be closed off to traffic on a handful of days each year.

A bronze map table detailing the city's landmarks is also planned to be installed.

Historic buildings are to be illuminated and landscaping work is poised to enhance the street scene.

The overarching ambition is to turn the area into the first main attraction for visitors coming in from Canterbury West.

Canterbury castle and conference centre

One of the biggest changes planned as part of the project is to upgrade the castle and transform the top deck of the neighbouring multi-storey into an attraction.

A conference and exhibition hall is to be built at the car park.

It will welcome artistic exhibitions such as Wildlife Photographer of the Year, and host rooftop hospitality events.

A green 'living' roof to improve biodiversity and boast the city’s largest array of solar panels will also be installed at the car park.

At the neglected castle, repairs to its crumbling structure will be made and the surrounding grounds are to be relandscaped.

Rather than a previously envisaged amphitheatre, a "spectacular open-air event space" with free-standing timber seating and stage will be introduced inside the castle keep.

Theatre performances, cinema, reenactments, concerts and sports screenings are all planned to be timetabled.

Tannery Field skate park and Dane John makeover

The council hopes an envisaged 'landmark skate garden' can provide world-class facilities.

The course will weave its way through a section of the popular park, and will be etched with concrete art and interpretation about Canterbury’s industrial heritage.

A pontoon is also planned to be installed on the river, while a cycle hub will be created and new sculptures will accompany the meadow's existing iron bull.

As for the Dane John, the mound is planned to be relandscaped to "return to its former glory" and the Biggleston lampposts in the gardens and city wall will be restored.

Staggered seating is to be installed on the grassy banks which perimeter the gardens, with the terraced seats-cum-steps being used for picnics, shows and events.

Security at the crime-hit park is proposed to be improved and new street vendors will be introduced.

Story gardens

Multiple story gardens are to be created, with greenspaces and city meeting areas being upgraded.

The small square outside the old Nasons store will be morphed into the Aphra Garden, in recognition of trailblazing female author Aphra Behn. It is set to become the home for a planned statue of the writer.

About 20 other story gardens dotted around the city are to be formed, with each one telling tales about specific parts of Canterbury's history.

For example, the Dane John is to become the 'peace garden', while Solly's Orchard will be the 'Marlowe Garden' and St Mary de Castro will be the 'Fleming garden'.

City wall

The length of the city wall is planned to become a 'pollinator park' - a green haven with wildflowers and hub for biodiversity.

It takes inspiration from High Line park in New York - a 1.6km greenway built on what was formerly an elevated section of the New York Central Railroad.

The Canterbury proposals would see plants drape over the battlements and transform the wall into a nature-led walkway.

Trees are to be planted along the length of the dry moat beneath the wall, with the plan for a new 'moat walk' to be introduced in the future.

The six towers dotted along the historic defence are to be fitted with seating nooks and sculptural features, while space for concessions would also be set up.

The bus station is also set to be screened from view.

Other aspirations

A total of 1,095 trees are poised to be planted in the district, while roundabouts and car parks will be spruced up to help the city boast a "strong brand identity".

The former Poor Priests’ Hospital in Stour Street is planned to undergo a multi-million pound renovation to become a performing arts learning centre and free-to-access visitor experience.

A new city app is to be created and a host of walking trails will be formed.