By 1614, the ditch outside the walls appears to have been partially filled in and the reclaimed land rented out.
During the English Civil War, Canterbury was initially held by Parliamentary forces.
In 1647, however, riots broke out in protest over the actions of the city's Puritan mayor and Canterbury declared its loyalty for Charles I. Parliamentary forces intervened and reoccupied the city, burning the wooden city gates and deliberately damaging, or slighting, the walls near Canterbury Castle.
With the restoration of Charles II to the throne in 1660, new wooden doors were installed at the West Gate.

Towards the end of the 18th century, horse-drawn coaches became much more common in Canterbury, which lay at the centre of a new turnpike road system.
This required extensive changes to the city streets and gateways, which were typically too narrow to be easily navigated by these vehicles.
By 1779, Northgate and Burgate had been destroyed to allow wider entrances for the city.
Riding Gate was demolished in 1782, but in 1791 the local citizen James Simmons built a new, brick archway on the old foundations, which was rapidly occupied by a new house, blocking most of the gateway.
An iron bridge was later built over the site of Riding Gate.
The Worth Gate was demolished in 1791 and reused in a local garden, a new entrance being built in its place.
Newingate's drum towers were used as a water reservoir for the city, and the gatehouse was not demolished until 1801.
Sections of the wall were cut away to allow new roads to be built; the walls near St Radiguns's Public Baths were demolished in 1794 and the city wall around London Gate was demolished around 1800.

In other parts of Canterbury, the city walls became used for promenades by the more fashionable citizens.
The Dane John Gardens were built between 1790 and 1803 by Simmons in the south-east corner of the walls, remodelling the old castle motte, and incorporating the Roman bank and the medieval wall-walk into the design.
The ownership of the land was disputed, and the park was taken into the control of the city shortly after its construction.

West Gate continued to be used as the city gaol, resulting in it surviving the destruction of the other city gates.
When the reformer John Howard visited the gaol in the mid-1770s, he noted that it contained a large day room for male and female prisoners and two small night rooms, but no courtyard for exercise.
Prison reform became an important issue during the early 19th century, and the West Gate gaol was considered unsatisfactory, being condemned as dirty, cramped and insecure, resulting in the extension of the gaol into Pound Lane and the consequent dismantling of the adjacent city wall.
There was a legal attempt to demolish the West Gate altogether in 1859, in order to allow the Wombwell Circus to march a parade of elephants into the city; the gatehouse was only saved by the casting vote of Canterbury's mayor.
In 1865 the prison was closed and the West Gate became used first for the storage of archives and then as a museum.
By 1614, the ditch outside the walls appears to have been partially filled in and the reclaimed land rented out. During the English Civil War, Canterbury was initially held by Parliamentary forces. In 1647, however, riots broke out in protest over the actions of the city's Puritan mayor and Canterbury declared its loyalty for Charles I. Parliamentary forces intervened and reoccupied the city, burning the wooden city gates and deliberately damaging, or slighting, the walls near Canterbury Castle. With the restoration of Charles II to the throne in 1660, new wooden doors were installed at the West Gate.
Towards the end of the 18th century, horse-drawn coaches became much more common in Canterbury, which lay at the centre of a new turnpike road system. This required extensive changes to the city streets and gateways, which were typically too narrow to be easily navigated by these vehicles. By 1779, Northgate and Burgate had been destroyed to allow wider entrances for the city. Riding Gate was demolished in 1782, but in 1791 the local citizen James Simmons built a new, brick archway on the old foundations, which was rapidly occupied by a new house, blocking most of the gateway. An iron bridge was later built over the site of Riding Gate. The Worth Gate was demolished in 1791 and reused in a local garden, a new entrance being built in its place. Newingate's drum towers were used as a water reservoir for the city, and the gatehouse was not demolished until 1801. Sections of the wall were cut away to allow new roads to be built; the walls near St Radiguns's Public Baths were demolished in 1794 and the city wall around London Gate was demolished around 1800.
In other parts of Canterbury, the city walls became used for promenades by the more fashionable citizens. The Dane John Gardens were built between 1790 and 1803 by Simmons in the south-east corner of the walls, remodelling the old castle motte, and incorporating the Roman bank and the medieval wall-walk into the design. The ownership of the land was disputed, and the park was taken into the control of the city shortly after its construction.
West Gate continued to be used as the city gaol, resulting in it surviving the destruction of the other city gates. When the reformer John Howard visited the gaol in the mid-1770s, he noted that it contained a large day room for male and female prisoners and two small night rooms, but no courtyard for exercise. Prison reform became an important issue during the early 19th century, and the West Gate gaol was considered unsatisfactory, being condemned as dirty, cramped and insecure, resulting in the extension of the gaol into Pound Lane and the consequent dismantling of the adjacent city wall. There was a legal attempt to demolish the West Gate altogether in 1859, in order to allow the Wombwell Circus to march a parade of elephants into the city; the gatehouse was only saved by the casting vote of Canterbury's mayor. In 1865 the prison was closed and the West Gate became used first for the storage of archives and then as a museum.
Canterbury city walls