Canterbury Cathedral
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Canterbury (/ ˈ k æ n t ər b (ə) r i / ⓘ, /-b ɛ r i /) is a city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the county of Kent, England; it was a county borough until 1974. It lies on the River Stour. The city has a mild oceanic climate.
Canterbury is a historic and welcoming destination for visitors, with cobbled streets, floral displays, and award-winning restaurants. Explore the city's attractions, shop at independent and high street retailers, and enjoy the Kentish countryside and coast.
May 20, 2024 · Canterbury, historic town and surrounding city (local authority) in the administrative and historic county of Kent, southeastern England. Its cathedral has been the primary ecclesiastical center of England since the early 7th century CE. Learn more about Canterbury, including its history.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
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- Canterbury Cathedral
- St Augustine’s Abbey
- Beaney House of Art & Knowledge
- St Martin’s Church
- Canterbury City Walls
- Westgate
- Westgate Gardens
- Christ Church Gate
- Marlowe Theatre
- Canterbury Roman Museum
Seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion, Canterbury Cathedral is England’s principal Christian monument. In the Middle Ages it was Northern Europe’s most venerated pilgrimage site for the tomb of Thomas Becket, the Archbishop who was murdered by followers of King Henry II near a doorway to the cloister i...
A testament to the revival of Christianity in England, St Augustine’s Abbey was founded by St Augustine, the first Archbishop of Canterbury, in 598. For centuries it was Kent’s only religious house of real significance, and its importance was recognised by invading Danes and the Normans, who constructed a Romanesque monastery to replace the old Sax...
In a Tudor Revival house on the High Street is Canterbury’s central museum, library and art gallery. The attraction takes the name of James George Beaney, the Canterbury-born surgeon who emigrated to Australia and had a political career before leaving £10,000 to Canterbury to set up the museum. Inside there’s a large set of works by another Canterb...
In the same UNESCO site as the cathedral and abbey is the oldest church in the English-speaking world. St Martin’s Church dates from the end of the 6th century, but includes even earlier Roman elements like a brick tomb. The church was established by the pagan King Æthelberht of Kent to allow his Christian wife, Bertha, a Frankish Princess, to prac...
The Romans were the first to build walls around Canterbury towards the end of the 3rd century. Even as the layout of the city streets changed through Anglo-Saxon and Norman times, the circuit of walls remained pretty much the same. These defences were breached a few times between the 9th and 11th century, during a deadly Viking raid in 835 and an e...
The last of seven Medieval city gates defending Canterbury, the 18-metre Westgate is a formidable 14th-century construction beside the River Stour. The gate is composed of Kentish ragstone, a hard blue-grey limestone, and has a drawbridge still marshalled by a portcullis and wooden doors. In the stonework of the two drum towers flanking the portal,...
One of the most serene spots in Canterbury is this historic garden on the banks of the Stour as it flows towards the Westgate. This space has been open since Medieval times, putting it among the country’s oldest gardens. The garden, with formal flowerbeds, incorporates a part of Canterbury’s Roman wall and the former London Road Gate. There’s a bea...
The main gateway to the cathedral was raised in the first two decades of the 16th century and rises above Canterbury’s Buttermarket. There’s a lot of detail to look out for, in the gate’s fine octagonal towers, with Perpendicular Gothic tracery, and the stonework in the archivolts of the Tudor arch in the main portal. Above this arch are the coats ...
Named after the Elizabethan playwright, Christopher Marlowe, who was born in Canterbury, the Marlowe Theatre is the city’s premier performing arts venue. The building used to be a cinema and was given a multimillion pound redevelopment at the beginning of this decade, reopening in 2011. The theatre has a packed programme of concerts, drama, musical...
This museum’s story began in 1868 when workmen excavating Canterbury’s streets happened upon a Roman domus. The museum was established until 1961, after further discoveries were made following bomb damage in the Second World War. There’s a set of mosaics on a corridor dating to 300AD, as well as traces of frescoes and a hypocaust, all a few metres ...
Canterbury Roman Museum is Kent’s only Roman Museum; providing a fascinating and family-friendly insight into life in Roman Britain. Visitors can explore Canterbury’s history, wander through the marketplace and discover hidden treasures as they step back, and down, to the streets of Roman Canterbury…
Canterbury, ancient city famous for its cathedral and medieval streets set in the hop fields of Kent, one of the most beautiful and historic cities in England. Ben Johnson. 8 min read. St Augustine was sent by the Pope in 597 AD to re-establish Christianity in southern England and came to Canterbury.
Discover the history, culture and beauty of Canterbury, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a popular pilgrimage destination. Find attractions, events, tours and tips for a day, a weekend or a lifetime in this walled medieval city.
