Canterbury Cathedral

Canterbury Cathedral, Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion, has a tradition of visitor welcome that reaches back to the days of medieval pilgrimage. We continue that tradition today and look forward to sharing with you the beauty of this great holy place.

In 597AD, Pope Gregory the Great sent a monk, Augustine, to England as a missionary. Augustine establish his seat (or ‘Cathedra’) and monastery in Canterbury and became England’s first Archbishop.

In 1170, Archbishop Thomas Becket was murdered in the Cathedral, and when soon afterwards miracles were said to take place, the Cathedral became one of Europe’s most important pilgrimage centres.

The Cathedral has a 11thC Romanesque Crypt, Gothic 12thC Quire and 14thC Nave. Beautiful stained glass windows tell the story of Thomas Becket and the Cathedral’s royal connections.