Canterbury Cathedral

Following the murder of Archbishop Thomas Becket in 1170, stories of miraculous recoveries from illness circulated among visitors to his shrine and Canterbury became a major place of pilgrimage, celebrated in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. The prosperity that multitudes of pilgrims brought to the Cathedral resulted in its enlargement and adornment with stunning stained-glass windows, remaining the finest collection from this period in the UK.

The Cathedral also features an intricately carved wooden Quire, stunning stone statues and awe-inspiring vaulted ceilings. Outside, the atmospheric Cloisters offer a chance for quiet reflection and an array of gardens from a contemplative Memorial Garden through to a re-imagining of a medieval monk's Herbarium are waiting to be discovered.

Canterbury's UNESCO World Heritage Site comprises three holy places which are integral to the re-introduction of Christianity in England- St Martin's, the nation's oldest continually used church, St Augustine's Abbey, burial place of Anglo- Saxon kings and the first Archbishops of Canterbury, and the jewel in Canterbury's crown, the spectacular Christ Church Cathedral. These holy sites not only tell the story of Christianity's introduction to the Anglo-Saxon world, but are also witnesses to centuries of England's history.

New for 2021, Canterbury's UNESCO sites have combined to offer a joint guided tour around all three churches! This half-day experience will tell the thrilling story of religious power struggles through the ages while exploring some fabulous architecture. With Bell Harry Tower dominating the modern cityscape, Canterbury Cathedral's stunning combination of Romanesque and Gothic architecture has been the seat of the spiritual head of the Church of England for nearly five centuries. King Henry IV and the Black Prince are buried within, while evidence of other British monarchs can be found commemorated on the Cathedral's walls.