For
perhaps the majority of first time visitors to Canterbury, the big
draw is to visit Canterbury Cathedral.
It is the cathedral of the Archbishop of Canterbury, leader of the
Church of England and symbolic leader of the world-wide Anglican Communion.
However much of the history of Canterbury Cathedral predates this
time, notably Thomas à Becket assassinated in 1170 by followers
of Henry II, the event that made Canterbury a major place of pilgrimage.
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Canterbury
Cathedral |
Canterbury
Cathedral is at the heart of the city centre, you just turn a corner
and all of a sudden the front entrance (pictured below) is in front
of you, opposite the tourist office.
Because of the medieval street plan of Canterbury you would have walked
a minimum of 5/10 minutes to get to the entrance, even if on a coach
tour. |
Like
Salisbury Cathedral,
Canterbury has a well preserved Close, with just a few gates into
the religious area from the city streets. The area within the Close
is extensive, the Cathedral is just one part of the complex.
When visiting Canterbury Cathedral, remember this is primarily a working
Cathedral not a tourist attraction. At any time there may be a service
or perhaps an event or pilgrimage that affects your visit.
Above all note that Sundays is not a good day to visit, the Cathedral
is only open a couple of hours around lunch time.
There are tours throughout the day (though not Sunday) and also 40
minute audio tours available in several languages.
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Front
Entrance To Cathedral |
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Architecturally
the Cathedral is very impressive due to its size and ornate detail.
There is also a large display of stained glass windows, some of
which have survived from the late 12th and 13th centuries.
The history of Canterbury dates back to to 597AD when St Augustine
was sent as a missionary to establish his seat in Canterbury. The
church buildings have been built and expanded since that time with
much built in Norman times when the Cathedral was completely rebuilt.
One of the most pivotal events in the Cathedrals history was in
this Norman era with the murder of Archbishop Thomas Becket in 1170.
The Cathedral has since been the attraction for thousands of Pilgrims
as told in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.
The work of the Cathedral as a monastery came to an end in 1540,
when the monastery was closed on the orders of King Henry VIII
During the Second World War, the Precincts were heavily damaged
by enemy action and the Cathedral’s Library was destroyed.
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Canterbury
Cathedral Official Web Site
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