Canterbury Cathedral

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Canterbury Cathedral, St Augustine'S Abbey And St Martin'S Church (1988). The Mother Church Of The Anglican Communion, Founded In AD 597, Where Thomas Becket Was Murdered In 1170, Making It A Medieval Pilgrimage Site And The Setting Of The Canterbury Tales. Closes To Sightseers During Services · Canterbury, England

Canterbury Cathedral in Kent is the mother church of the Anglican Communion, founded in AD 597 by St Augustine, the missionary sent by Pope Gregory to England. It became one of Europe's great pilgrimage sites after Archbishop Thomas Becket was murdered in the north-west transept in 1170, a story that inspired Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Visitors walk the long Gothic nave under soaring vaulting, see the spot of the martyrdom, the stained glass from the 12th and 13th centuries, the Norman crypt, the cloisters, and Bell Harry, the great central tower. Together with St Augustine's Abbey and St Martin's Church, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Entry costs money and is not cheap, but the building is the finest medieval church in the south-east of England, and well worth the fee on a quiet weekday. It is a working cathedral, so visiting closes during services, and Sundays are limited. The medieval city around it is small and busy in summer.

Cathedral Precincts, Canterbury, in Kent, about 90 km east of London and 25 km from Dover, Canterbury, England, United Kingdom

The cathedral is usually open to sightseers most days, with shorter hours in winter and last entry commonly an hour before closing. It is a working church, so sightseeing pauses or stops during services, and on Sundays access is limited to worshippers and short visiting periods - confirm before travelling. Some areas, such as the crypt or the cloisters, can be CLOSED for services or private events. Worshippers can attend daily services, including choral evensong, FREE, though they may not tour the building. Walking the city walls, the High Street and the riverbank is FREE and always open. St Augustine's Abbey and St Martin's Church have their own seasonal hours and are CLOSED outside them. Confirm everything close to your date.

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