Canterbury Cathedral
11 The Precincts, Canterbury
Visit Canterbury Cathedral to experience stunning architecture and rich history, which continues to attract people from all over the world. The Cathedral is the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion and seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
It all started for the Cathedral in 597AD when Augustine, a monk sent by Pope Gregory the Great, arrived as a missionary and established his seat in Canterbury.
Stand in the spot where Archbishop Thomas Becket was murdered in 1170, making the site one of Europe’s most significant pilgrimage centres, as told most famously in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.
The Cathedral also plays host to a Romanesque crypt dating back to the 11th century, a 12th century early Gothic Quire and a 14th century, Perpendicular Nave. Observe the beautiful medieval stained-glass windows that illustrate royal connections, bible stories, miracles and stories associated with Thomas Becket.
It is also recommended to take in the tranquil ruins of St Augustine’s Abbey and St Martin’s Church as they form one of Britain’s few World Heritage Sites.