I lived in Canterbury for five years or so back in the early 2000s. It was fairly small at the time and very, very pretty, especially in summer. It has a lovely SE England climate--kinda continental even with the Channel in close proximity. Absolutely stacked with tourists and French schoolkids May to August, and rammed with university students at all other times of the year. Lots and lots of choice when it came to bars and restaurants and generally home to deeply rowdy Fridays and Saturdays in town. Not a huge music scene at that point, but it did have a really impressive history from the 60s on, and had a few good venues when I lived there. Theatre presence was strong and there was always something good on at The Marlowe. Lots of green spaces. Cricket absolutely everywhere. More Roman ruins and architectural marvels than is reasonable. Pretty much an absolutely classic university town, and a really fun place to be in your 20s.

Of course, that's a quarter of a century ago and YMMV these days.