Canterbury Cathedral

May 25th 2021 was a great day for me. It was my first cathedral visit since the end of 2019. Despite it being only an hour from London, I decided to spend a couple of days there and see a few of the other sites.

My first impression of Canterbury is, ‘what a nice place’. Of course, the sun was shining and everything looks better in the sun. My hotel the Greyfrairs Lodge is just off the High St and close to the centre of the city and all of its historical sites. It’s a decent hotel but not great.

Canterbury Cathedral is the ‘mother’ church of the Anglican communion. It was founded by St Augustine (first Archbishop of Canterbury) who was sent by Gregory the Great in the late 6th century to convert the Anglo-Saxons to Christianity. He also founded St Augustine’s Priory where he was buried.

The most famous Archbishop of Canterbury is Thomas Becket, murdered at the instigation of Henry II and who was canonised shortly afterwards. After his death, Canterbury became the primary centre for pilgrimage in England until Henry VIII destroyed both Thomas Becket’s shrine and St Augustine’s priory during his reformation. Today, there’s a candle burning where St Thomas’s shrine once stood.

Here are a few photos of the Cathedral, Cloisters and Chapter House.