April 22-23, 2024:
We arrived in London Heathrow from Denver at around 10 am local time. After renting a car and retriving our luggage, we headed directly to Canterbury. We were “very fortunate” to arrive at our lodging, the Canterbury Cathedral Lodge, and find a remaining parking spot (our lodging had previously given us alternative parking arrangements if parking there was full).
Canterbury Cathedral Lodge
Canterbury Cathedral from our lodging, the Canterbury Cathedral Lodge
Before touring Canterbury, we decided to walk to lunch at a tea room with homemade scones recommended by our hostess, Tiny Tim’s Tea Room (open Monday-Friday, 9:30 am – 5 pm; Saturday, 9:30 am – 5:30 pm; Sunday, 10 am – 4:30 pm; +44 1227 450793; https://www.tinytimstearoom.com/).
Tiny Tim’s Tearoom
Homemade goodies at Tiny Tim’s Tearoom
Canterbury Cathedral:
Canterbury Cathedral, formally Christ Church Cathedral, Canterbury, is the cathedral of the archbishop of Canterbury, the leader of the Church of England and symbolic leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion.
Historical Background
One of the most important churches in England, Canterbury Cathedral, worth three stars, is the headquarters of the Anglican Church (that makes it akin to the English Vatican). There’s been a church here ever since St. Augustine, the cathedral’s first archbishop, broke ground in 597 (not the philosopher, St. Augustine of Hippo, who lived from November 13, 354 – August 28, 430).
Saint Augustine of Canterbury
Probably of aristocratic birth, Augustine was prior of the Benedictine monastery of St. Andrew, Rome, when Pope St. Gregory I the Great chose him to lead an unprecedented mission of about 40 monks to England, which was then largely pagan. They left in June 596, but, arriving in southern Gaul, they were warned of the perils awaiting them and sent Augustine back to Rome. There Gregory encouraged him with letters of commendation (dated July 23, 596), and he set out once more.
The entourage landed in the spring of 597 on the Isle of Thanet, off the southeast coast of England, and was well received by King Æthelberht (Ethelbert) I of Kent, who gave the missionaries a dwelling place in Canterbury and the old St. Martin’s Church, where he allowed them to preach. With Æthelberht’s support, their work led to many conversions, including that of the King. In the following autumn Augustine was consecrated bishop of the English by St. Virgilius at Arles.
King Æthelberht (Ethelbert) holding a church
Thousands of Æthelberht’s subjects were reportedly baptized by Augustine on Christmas Day 597, and he subsequently dispatched two of his monks to Rome with a report of this extraordinary event and a request for further help and advice. They returned in 601 with the pallium (i.e., symbol of metropolitan jurisdiction) from Gregory for Augustine and with more missionaries, including the celebrated saints Mellitus, Justus, and Paulinus. Gregory, with whom Augustine corresponded throughout his apostolate, directed him to purify pagan temples for Christian worship and to consecrate 12 suffragan bishops; thus, he was given authority over the bishops in Britain, and the evangelization of the Kingdom of Kent began. Augustine founded Christ Church, Canterbury, as his cathedral and the monastery of SS. Peter and Paul (later after St. Augustine’s death, St. Augustine’s Abbey), which came to rank as the second Benedictine house in all of Europe.
Murder of Thomas Becket – In the 12th century, the cathedral’s archbishop, Thomas Becket, was murdered in front of the altar. Just over two years later he was sainted, and Canterbury became a prime destination for religious pilgrims.
Stained glass window showing Thomas Becket’s murder
King Henry VIII – When King Henry VIII broke with the Roman Catholic Church 400 years later, Canterbury Cathedral became the Anglican version of St. Peter’s Basilica.
Gothic and Norman-Romanesque – Today, an aerial view of the Cathedral shows how the Cathedral has changed over time – the west sideis Gothic and the east side is older (Norman – Romanesque).
Aerial View of Canterbury Cathedral – Flickr – John Fielding
Self-Guided Tour of Canterbury Cathedral – The cathedral is open Monday-Saturday, 9 am – 5 pm (last admission at 4 pm); Sunday, 12:30 – 5 pm; +44 1227 762 862; www.canterbury-cathedral.org, cost without Cathedral Pass – £17. Media guides can be picked up for £5, and a pamphlet with map, to help on the self-guided walk below. The cathedral app can also be downded on a phone for £2.50.
Floor Plan – Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral
We started our self-guided tour of the Cathedral with a detour (the normal main entrance to the Cathedral was closed for construction – the construction is scheduled to be completed in 2028).
Main entrance to the Cathedral was under construction – we detoured to another door
Statues of Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip and the “Queen Mum”
Nave – Upon entering the Cathedral, we were first struck by the grandeur of this Gothic building. Our first view looking east was of the Pulpitum arch into the Choir and Trinity Chapel beyond.
The Nave
We then took the time to find certain objects in the nave…
The Font – The Font stands on a marble plinth, with the four figures of the Evangelists (Saint Matthew with an angel, Mark with a lion, Luke with a bull and John with an eagle) around the stem. The Cover of the Font is a shallow, octagonal fluted bowl, on which a two-story wooden cover rests, adorned with figures of the 12 Apostles, 8 on the lower story, with the remaining 4 above. The Cover rises to a pinnacle, on which stands a figure of Christ blessing little children and is raised by a metal pulley, which hangs from a bracket, bearing the royal arms of Charles II (1660/1685), marking his restoration in 1660. Under the Cover, a dove represents the Holy Ghost.
The Font
Victorian Pulpit – On the left side of the nave, we noticed a Victorian pulpit carved and painted in the Gothic Revival style (1898). At the top of each hour, a priest recites a welcome and a prayer from here.
Victorian Pulpit
Great West Window – Behind us we noticed the Great West Window. Though completed in 1405, the Great West Window contains some much earlier and historically important 12th century portraits in stained glass, the Ancestors of Christ. The portraits – 13 from a series of 86 – were moved here from high up the eastern clerestories of the Choir and Trinity Chapel in 1799 to fill the space left after of much of the Cathedral’s stained glass was destroyed by Parliamentary troops and puritan iconoclasts in 1642-43, at the start of the English Civil War.
Great West Window
Fire-Watchers Memorial – All of what we see could have been lost during World War II – but heroic “fire-watchers” kept German incendiary bombs from destroying the building – there is a round plaque in the floor (center rear of the nave) that remembers these men.
Fire Watchers Memorial
The Sanctuary – The Sanctuary, with the Compass Rose and altar, is in the middle of the nave, just in front of the steps leading up to the Pulpitum Choir Screen. On the floor of the sanctuary is the emblem of The Compass Rose, which signifies, by showing all points of the compass, that the Cathedral is the Mother Church of the Anglican Christian Faith throughout the World. This is where all the Anglican Bishops of the World gather at the time of each Lambeth Conference (held approximately every 10 years).
The Sanctuary
The Compass Rose and Altar of the Sanctuary
Hales Monument – In the north aisle of the Nave, we examined the Hales Monument. The monument is a memorial to Sir James Hales (d. 1589), his wife Alice and son Cheney.
The Hales Monument
Sir James was a soldier and treasurer to the Portugal Expedition (also known as the English Armada or Contra Armada) of 1589. The top part of the monument features a bas-relief sculpture showing Sir James being buried at sea. The English Armada was Elizabeth I’s attempt to capitalize on the failure of the Spanish Armada a year earlier. Despite the losses it had suffered around the coast of the British Isles in 1588, Spain remained the dominant naval force, and the Spanish Empire (the Iberian Union of Portugal and Spain 1580-1640), under Philip II of Spain controlled the sea routes and the lucrative trade between Europe and Spanish/Portuguese territories in the Caribbean and the Americas.
The expedition, led by Sir Francis Drake and General Sir John Norreys, spectacularly failed to accomplish any of its objectives. The joint English/Dutch fleet of 150 warships and armed merchantmen that sailed from Plymouth on April 15, 1589, limped home only three months later, having lost at least a quarter of its ships. Around half of the 23,000 men who set sail were killed, injured or died of disease. Sir James himself died during the return journey and was buried at sea in full armor, as depicted on the monument.
Sir James being buried at sea in full armor
Pulpitum Steps – Just pass the Hales Monument we reached the Pulpitum Steps (or “Pilgrims’ Steps”). For 50 years (1170-1220), pilgrims wishing to see the shrine of Thomas Becket were directed to the crypt, for his remains were buried there. From 1220 until the destruction of the shrine of Thomas Becket in 1538, pilgrims visited a new shrine in the Trinity Chapel. The main steps approaching the choir became known as the Pilgrims’ Steps. The stone became very worn from the shoes, feet and knees of many thousands of pilgrims who took this route.
Pulpitum Steps (“Pilgrims’ Steps”)
We took these steps up to a landing and then viewed the stained glass windows to our northwest (Coronation Window) and north (Royal Window).
Coronation Window – The modern Coronation Window (1954) was presented by the freemasons of Kent to mark the coronation of Elizabeth II in 1953. The two central panels (lights) in the middle row (register) depict the Queen and Prince Philip with their two children Prince Charles and Princess Anne at the time of the coronation. They are flanked on either side by the “Lords Spiritual” and “Lords Temporal” of the time – including on the left, Archbishop Geoffrey Francis Fisher (1945-1961) who presided over the coronation ceremony.
The lower register depicts George VI and Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother), flanked by their daughters Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret as they were in 1937, at the time of the previous coronation.
The Coronation Window
Royal Window – The Yorkist Royal Window, was made at the height of the Wars of the Roses (1455-87). When it was completed, c. 1480 it was named “Our Lady’s Window” as it was dedicated to the Virgin Mary and contained images of Christ and the 12 Apostles, seven panels depicting the Virgin Mary, as well as Thomas Becket ‘in full proportion’. The window was a gift of Edward IV. It is said to have been “one of the most magnificent stained glass windows in England”.
In December 1642 the Rev. Richard Culmer – “Blue Dick” – at the head of a group of Puritan iconoclasts arrived at the Cathedral with ladders and pikes and, declaring, “I am doing the work of the Lord”, set about smashing as much of the sacred stained glass, statuary and other “papist” artefacts as he and his followers could reach.
The Royal Window
The top two rows of the Royal Window are intact…The lower register (row of glass) containing the portraits of Edward IV and his family was spared significant damage. It was subsequently moved up by one register to fill the space left behind by the broken glass.
We now descended the stairs below the stained glass windows to view the…
Stairs to The Martyrdom (Memorial to Thomas Becket)
The Martyrdom (Memorial to Thomas Becket) – This is where Thomas Becket was martyred. There is a humble plaque in the floor between a dramatic sculpture of two swords pointing to the place where he died (the shadows make it appear that there are two more swords – fitting since there were four murderers).
Humble plaque in the floor
The sculpture of the two swords is called the Altar of the Sword’s Point, which marks the place where the murder of Archbishop Thomas Becket took place on December 29, 1170.
The Martyrdom (Memorial of Thomas Becket)
The main structure as it is seen today was completed – in Perpendicular style – between 1472 and 1487. Also accessible from here is the…
Deans’ Chapel (Chapel of Our Lady) – Has an early example of a fan-vaulted roof and several notable tombs of post-Reformation Deans of the Cathedral (it was closed during our visit – however, we could view the chapel through iron grates).
Dean’s Chapel
Tombs of Dr. John Boys and Dean Charles Fotherby
Detail – tomb of Dean Charles Fotherby
Crucifix in the Dean’s Chapel
The tunnel to the right was built in the 15th century, and allowed for the steady stream of pilgrims without disturbing the worship service above (the tunnel leads to the Southwest Transept).
The tunnel to the Southwest Transept
In 1982 Pope John Paul II knelt at the place of Becket’s murder and prayed with the Archbishop of Canterbury – the first visit ever by a pope to England.
Plaque celebrating visit of Pope John Paul II to The Martyrdom
To the left of The Martyrdom (Memorial to Thomas Becket), along the south wall, are…
Archbishop Tombs – The tomb of Archbishop John Peckham (1279-1294) to the left is the only surviving monument in the cathedral in the Decorated Gothic style. His effigy is carved in oak, though his silver miter has long since disappeared. Peckham was archbishop to Edward I (1272-1307) and was the only Franciscan archbishop of Canterbury (the monks of the cathedral priory were Benedictines). Peckham was a notable scholar and authority on optics, astronomy and theology. His body is interred here – though his heart was buried under the high altar of the Franciscan monastery church at Greyfriars, in London (dissolved 1538).
To the right of this tomb is the tomb of Archbishop William Warham (1503-1532), friend of Erasmus and Holbein, and the last pre-Reformation archbishop. He supervised the coronation of Henry VIII and conducted the service for his marriage to his first wife Catherine of Aragon. One of Warham’s last acts was to preside over the Convocation of 1532 that gave approval to Henry VIII’s Act of the Submission of the Clergy, finally conceding that the Crown was the ultimate authority in all matters ecclesiastical.
Archbishop Tombs
The Instructional Red Door – There is a Latin inscription, in red, over the door at the bottom of the stairs, on the east wall, that leads to the cloisters, that reads:
Est sacer intra locus venerabilis atqui beatus
praesul ubi sanctus Thomas est martyrizatus
“The holy place within is where the blessed Saint Thomas was martyred”.
Red Latin Inscription over the door at the bottom of the stairs
This may seem a little odd – the inscription should surely be on the other side of the doorway? In fact, the inscription was originally over a different door entirely – “The Red Door”. This door was set into an internal wall (built c. 1200) in the Northwest Transept that separated the throng of pilgrims visiting the Martyrdom from the monks going about their daily devotions. The partition created an unimpeded corridor between the monks’ entrance from the cloister and the stairs leading to the Choir. The inscription over the monks’ side of the doorway, served to remind them of what lay within.
We now opened this door to enter the cloisters…
The Cloisters – The cloisters (rebuilt 1394-1414) were the hub of the medieval Priory. The monks would have passed through the cloisters from their Dormitory or Refectory on their way to meet at the Chapter House or to pray in the Cathedral. The side of a Cloister is called a walk, alley or pane. The four walks of the Great Cloister are made up of 8 bays on each side with a bay at each corner, making 36 in total.
Plan of the Great Cloister – Canterbury Cathedral
The first thing we noticed upon entering the cloisters were the colorful roof bosses along the ceilings of the Great Cloister. There are over 800 family crests/shields, which represent important families and donors to the Cathedral, along with symbols of spectacular mythical creatures, medieval heads, and green men.
Green men and other roof bosses
We also located in bay 7 of the South Walk, the Melusina or two-tailed mermaid.
Melusina or two-tailed mermaid
Other roof bosses in the Great Cloister
There were three displays of roof bosses in the Great Cloister….
Display of roof bosses
Cellarium – Along the West Walk, we found the circular hatch (or ‘turn’) into the former cellarium (pantry, store room). This building was where the Priory’s supplies of food, ales and wines were stored. The circular hatch or ‘turn’ next to the door was probably used to establish the identity of anyone wanting to enter the cellarer’s quarters – and not a serving as a hatch for jugs of ale as is sometimes suggested!
The circular ‘turn’ into the cellarium
Stained Glass Windows – The Great Cloister contains several (many recent) beautiful stained glass windows.
The West Walk includes two tracery windows designed by Hugh Easton, who is best known for his Battle of Britain Window in Westminster Abbey.
– The Musicians’ Window (1934), the first of the Easton windows, depicts four English musicians: Henry Purcell (1659-95), Thomas Tallis (c. 1505-85), John Merbecke (c. 1510-85) and Cardinal Archbishop Stephen Langton (c. 1140-1228). Langton’s tomb can be found in the Buffs’ (Holland) Chapel and, amongst his many accomplishments, he is believed to have written the hymn, Veni, Sancte Spiritus (“Come, thou Holy Spirit”).
The Musician’s Window
Detail – Musician’s Window (Thomas Tallis, Archbishop Stephen Langton, Henry Purcell)
– In the next bay in the West Walk is another Easton window, the Dick Sheppard Window, installed in 1939 in memory of Dick Sheppard (d. 1937), Dean of Canterbury Cathedral from 1929-31. Sheppard was a popular preacher who delivered the first ever sermon broadcast by the BBC and was a passionate pacifist, following the trauma he witnessed and suffered as a military chaplain during the Great War.
The two scenes at the top of the window depict the Adoration of the Shepherds, including the Dean himself, with St. Martin and St. Francis below, on either side. The central image is that of a pelican wounding itself. In ancient times it was commonly (though wrongly) believed that, when there was no food, the pelican would feed its chicks with its own blood, and the pelican was therefore adopted as a symbol of self-sacrifice and charity by the early Christian church.
The Dick Sheppard Window
The North Walk also has two tracery windows, both produced in the cathedral’s stained glass studio. The Ripening Wheat Window, installed in 2014, was designed by Emma Lindsay and is dedicated to the Garfield Weston Foundation in recognition of its generous support of restoration projects in the Cathedral.
The Ripening Wheat Window by Emma Lindsay
The second modern window, further along the North walk (bay 25) is the Damson Tree Window (2018), designed by Hughie O’Donoghue and dedicated to Richard Oldfield, in recognition of his contribution as a trustee of Canterbury Cathedral Trust and his role as Cathedral Seneschal – an ancient office that today provides financial and secular advice to the Dean and Chapter.
Damson Tree Window by Hughie O’Donoghue
The East Walk has two tracery windows as well. The stained glass in the tracery opposite the passage that leads to and from the north side of the Cathedral (“the Dark Entry”) is a tribute to the late Allan Willett, Lord Lieutenant of Kent 2002-2011, and former Chairman of the Canterbury Cathedral Trust. Allan Willett initiated the “Save the Cathedral” appeal in 2006. The glass was designed and made by Alison Eaton at the Cathedral’s stained glass studio and installed in 2014.
Alison Eaton stained glass window
The stained glass tracery in the East Walk in front of the Chapter House door, made by Geoffrey Webb in 1934, celebrates Gregory the Great (590-604), the pope who sent St. Augustine to Canterbury in 597, and the first four Archbishops of Canterbury: Top row – Archbishop St. Augustine (597-604), Archbishop Laurentius (604-19). Bottom row – Archbishop Mellitus (619-24), Pope Gregory The Great, Archbishop Justus (624-7).
Geoffrey Webb Window celebrating Gregory the Great.
Other sights in the Great Cloister – While in the corner of the West/North Walk, we looked through the cloister to get a special view of Canterbury Cathedral.
View of Canterbury Cathedral from the West/North Walk corner
From the South/West Walk corner, there was a great view of the Chapter House (and to its left, the Monk’s dormitory).
View of Chapter House from the South/West Walk corner
Entering the East Walk from the North Walk, we came across a Romanesque door on our left. This is the former entrance to the calefactorium, a chamber where a fire burned in winter so that the monks working outside in the bitterly cold winter weather could come in and warm themselves. The calefactorium was the only place in the priory, apart from the infirmary, that was heated. The monks’ life was a hard one!
The door to the former calefactorium
Along the North Walk, was a door to the former Refectory (now the Archdeacon’s Door).
Archdeacon’s door (to the Refectory)
The Garth – The picturesque cloisters’ garden in the center of the Great Cloister, known as the garth, is an open space historically used for burial.
The “Garth” or Great Cloister garden was used for burial
Cloister Garth sign
Chapter House – Next we entered the Chapter House – this was the place where the resident monks would have assembled to discuss the Cathedral’s business and read from their Benedictine rule. It is the largest of its kind in all of England.
The most immediately striking features of the Chapter House are its stained glass windows at either end and, overhead, the magnificent, early 15th century wagon-vault roof in Irish oak.
Chapter House interior
The glass in this East Window dates from 1896 when the Chapter House was restored to commemorate the 1300th anniversary of the coming of Augustine. It was donated by the Freemasons of Kent. There are 21 main windows and these depict the people that were seen to be important in the history of the cathedral as at that time.
The East Window – Chapter House
King Henry VIII window
The original glass of the West Window was installed in the 1440s but it is not known what it comprised. As with the East window, much, if not all, of the original glass was destroyed by the Puritans in c. 1643. The stained glass we see today was installed in 1903 and dedicated to the memory of Dean Frederick William Farrar (1895-1903), whose public appeal raised £20,000 to cover the cost of general restoration in the Chapter House, as well as the new stained glass. The window depicts historic events connected with the individuals portrayed in the East Window.
The West Window – Chapter House
Murder of Thomas Becket – West Window – Chapter House
At the eastern end, is the Prior’s Seat (or Throne), flanked on either side by stone benches, which continue around the walls on either side.
Prior’s Seat (Throne)
Stairs in the northeast corner
The Chapter House ceiling
We now returned to The Martrydom (Memorial to Thomas Becket) to continue our tour of the Cathedral…
The Crypt – The stairs to the left of the tunnel and right of the memorial in The Martrydom (Memorial to Thomas Becket) led us to the Crypt (it was prohibited to take pictures, so the following is mostly a verbal description of our Crypt tour – we added public domain pictures where they were available).
Floor Plan of Canterbury Cathedral (showing the Crypt)
Northern Aisle of the Crypt/Western Crypt – This lower section was started by the Normans, who probably built on top of St. Augustine’s original wooden church from about AD 600. The Western Crypt is the oldest part of the Cathedral, and a fine example of (Norman) Romanesque architecture – characterized by rounded arches and carved capitals and columns in a variety of designs.
Northern Aisle – Western Crypt
Chapels of St. Mary Magdalene and St. Nicholas – The Northwest Transept contains the small Chapels of St. Mary Magdalene (to the left as you face them) and St. Nicholas (to the right). They have been used regularly for the morning celebration of Holy Communion, which is held in a different chapel in the Cathedral every day of the week.
Chapels of St. Mary Magdalene and St. Nicholas
The Chapel of the Holy Innocents – This chapel is the “twin” of the Chapel of St. Gabriel on the south side of the crypt. The first of the two columns in the Holy Innocents features dragons on two sides and floral designs on the other two. In the 15th century, the apse of this chapel was replaced with a square perpendicular window.
Chapel of Holy Innocents
Eastern Crypt – Following the dissolution of the monastery in 1540 the Eastern Crypt was used as a coal store by the canons of the cathedral. Significant restoration commenced in the 19th century, including the discovery of the remarkable wall paintings in St. Gabriel’s Chapel. Along the northern aisle of the Eastern Crypt, there is a statue of St. Thomas Becket, a copy of a 15th century original held in the Swedish Museum of National Antiquities, and a gift from the Church of Sweden made in June 1930.
Statue of St. Thomas Becket
The far eastern end of the Eastern Crypt is newer – Gothic rather than Romanesque – hanging from the ceiling is a modern statue – called Transport – a body made of rusty nails from the church’s rooftop, a sculpture by Antony Gormley. It is formed from 210 large black nails left over from refurbishment of the cathedral Southeast Transept roof, weighs over 16 kg, was completed in 2010 and launched formally in January 2011. The full size human form, modelled on the artist’s own body, hangs suspended by a 1.5m steel thread and so moves imperceptibly in the air currents of the Eastern Crypt.
Transport by Antony Gormley
The original tomb of Thomas Becket was located here in the Eastern Crypt. In the years between 1180 and 1220, over 700 miracles attributed to the Saint were observed from the windows of the Watching Chamber above the entrance arch. Following the ambulatory, clockwise to the eastern end of the Crypt, there is the Jesus Chapel with its finely decorated roof vault.
Jesus Chapel – The Jesus Chapel forms the foundation for the Corona ‘Crown’ Chapel above it, and is the eastern extremity of the crypt, completed by William the Englishman in 1181. The M‘s stand for Mary and the I’s for Jesus, with each initial surmounted by a crown. The decorative style of the vault, or roof, of the Chapel dates from the late 1300s and the chapel was carefully restored and repainted in this style in 1981-82.
Jesus Chapel
Further on around the ambulatory, just before reentering the Western Crypt at its south aisle, there is a mysterious Ghost on the Pillar…
“Ghost on the pillar” – Almost the first thing visitors notice on entering the Eastern Crypt from the south aisle (in our case, looking back on leaving) is an outline of a hooded figure, in black, on the pillar. Nobody seems to know how it got here or what it is supposed to represent. There has been speculation that it may be an erased mural of Archbishop Thomas Becket, as it is adjacent to the site of the Becket tomb as it was between 1180 and 1220.
“Ghost on the Pillar”
Watching (Wax) Chamber – Looking back from the center of the Eastern Crypt, you will notice two windows over the entrance. These windows look out from a room adjacent to the steps leading up to the Trinity Chapel immediately above our heads.
These are the windows of the Watching Chamber where in the few years following the murder at the end of December 1170, the two monks, Benedict and William, observed pilgrims visiting the tomb of St. Thomas in the small Chapel of St. Augustine and St. John the Baptist, which was in this place before being incorporated into William the Englishman’s enlarged and extended Eastern Crypt. In less than 10 years, Benedict and William recorded over 700 miracles attributed to St. Thomas – several of which are depicted in the stained glass miracle windows that you will see later in the Trinity Chapel.
This room is now called the Wax Chamber – it was once used for storing candles – and is now the office of the Vesturer (Head Virger).
St. Gabriel Chapel – The carved capitals of the columns are some of the most elaborate and along with those in the St. Gabriel chapel are considered to be among the finest Romanesque sculpture in existence. The pillars in the Western Crypt and in these two side chapels were once as richly decorated as those that can still be seem on the walls and ceiling of the St. Gabriel chapel. Originally, the pillars were just as colorful as the wall-paintings and there are still slight traces of color if you look closely.
This small chapel has beautiful frescoes and capitals, as well as the tomb of Lady Elizabeth Trivet. The fine 12th century wall paintings in the apse of St. Gabriel’s Chapel were rediscovered only in 1950, and owe their survival to the fact that the apse was walled up in c. 1200 in an attempt to underpin the unstable St. Anselm chapel and tower above it.
Gabriel Chapel frescoes
Huguenot Chapel (French Protestant Church – Église Protestante Française) – This space is literally a church within a church – for 300 years used by the French (Huguenot) Protestant community, who fled persecution in this homeland for the more welcoming atmosphere in Protestant England – There is still a service in French every Sunday at 3 pm (the Chapel was closed when we visited – it is not open to visitors during weekdays except during International Refugee Week – June 13-23).
Huguenot Chapel
Chapel of Our Lady in the Undercroft – While the original crypt was completed by Anselm around 1100 AD, the filigree stone screens at the back of this chapel are dated to around 1370. They were probably funded by the Black Prince, who expressed the wish (in the event ignored) to be buried here.
Chapel of Our Lady in the Undercroft
Treasury or Crypt Exhibition – This part of the crypt has historically been the repository for items of value owned by the cathedral authorities and churches within the Diocese of Canterbury. In 2022 work was completed on converting the Treasury into a permanent exhibition space for cathedral visitors. The light levels in the Treasury are kept very low to protect the objects on display. And objects on display are expected to change relatively frequently. The story of the often tumultuous relationship between Church and State is told through selected objects from the Cathedral’s historic collection of manuscripts, printed texts, clothing and textiles, badges and metal artefacts, ceramics and stone carvings.
Treasury/Exhibition space
Upon exiting the Crypt at the southwestern end we found ourselves in the Southwest Transept of the Cathedral (if you exit the Crypt where you entered from the The Martyrdom in the northwestern end, go through the tunnel in the Martyrdom to reach the Southwest Transept). At its southeastern end of the Southwest Transept is…
St. Michael’s Chapel – Also known as the Warrior’s Chapel, this chapel was built by Lady Margaret Holland to house family tombs (she died in 1439 and lies in the middle between two of her husbands). The chapel is also associated with the Royal East Kent Regiment (“The Buffs”). The chapel has fragile old military flags adorning the walls.
St. Michael’s Chapel (aka Warriors Chapel)
Lady Margaret Holland between her two husbands
Old Military Flags representing “The Buffs”
Our next stop was to head up the seven steps above the tunnel to The Martyrdom to view the…
Bell Harry Tower – Built in 1503, this 190-foot tower is named for the church’s oldest bell, the Bell Harry, which hangs in a cage atop the central tower to which the bell lends its name. This bell was cast by Joseph Hatch in 1635, and is struck at 8 am and 9 pm every day to announce the opening and closing of the cathedral, and also occasionally for services as a Sanctus bell.
Look way, way up at the fine fan vaulting at the highest point – the white cross in the center is called a “hatch”. Five hundred years ago, a human-powered treadmill hoisted stones during construction.
The ‘hatch’ in the Bell Harry Tower
Choir Screen – Facing east, we then examined the impressive Cathedral Choir Screen – the finely carved wall that separated the public part of the church (behind you) from the monk’s zone (the intimate central choir, through the arched doorway). Statues of six kings decorate the screen – Flanking the door are King Ethelbert (left) with the church in his hand – and Edward the Confessor (right) – who was both a saint and an English king.
Choir Screen
The Seat of the Ostiarius – To the right of the Pulpitum arch, is a stone bench known as the Seat of the Ostiarius. The Choir was reserved for the sole use of the monks of the adjoining Christ Church Priory (until its dissolution by Henry VIII in 1540). The Ostiarius Chori (“the Guardian of the Choir”) was the monk charged with ensuring that only those connected with the Priory entered.
The Seat of the Ostiarius
From our location in front of the choir screen, we viewed to our right…
The Great South Window – A genealogical window – “The Ancestors of Christ” – This impressive window, the widest in the cathedral at 7.6m (25ft) and almost 17m (55ft) high, dates from the remodeling of the Southwest Transept in the Perpendicular style in 1428. Almost all of the original glass in this window was smashed by Puritan iconoclasts in 1642-3.
The Great South Window
The window was eventually reglazed in the 1660s, following the Restoration of Charles II, though the glass was of poor quality. By 1790, the replacement glass and the original 1428 stonework had deteriorated to the extent that extensive repairs were needed so, in 1799, it was decided to relocate a number of the genealogical glass panels from their positions high up in the clerestories of the Choir and Trinity Chapel to the large South and West windows, where they could be more easily appreciated. Made between 1130-1220, the genealogical windows portrayed 86 ancestors of Christ, as named in the Gospels of Luke and Matthew, starting with Adam and ending with Christ. Ironically, they survived the Puritan destruction by virtue of their inaccessibility. The South window contains 22 of the original ancestors and 2 duplicates.
Among the more familiar Old Testament ancestors in the window (to the contemporary eye) are Abraham (second row, left), Noah (bottom row, 2nd left) and Methuselah – who lived to be 969 years old (bottom row, 5th left).
Now we went straight through the choir screen to enter the…
Choir – The architecture of this part of the Cathedral is strikingly different from that you have seen elsewhere – a transitional gothic style known as Early English. The main structure was built between 1175 and 1184. The Parclose Screen on either side of the choir stalls was added in 1304 and the choir stalls themselves date from the 17th and 19th centuries.
Choir
At the eastern end of the Choir there is an impressive eagle lectern.
Choir Lectern
The Archbishop’s Throne – At the eastern end of the choir opposite the pulpit (1846) is the stone seat of the Archbishop, with its spired Victorian gothic canopy, designed by George Austin Sr. and given by Archbishop William Howley in 1844.
The Archbishop’s Throne is used during the “triple enthronement” ceremony of a new Archbishop. A new primate is first enthroned here in the choir as Bishop of the See of Canterbury, then in the Chapter House as Titular Abbot, and finally in St. Augustine’s Chair (see below) as Primate of All England and President of the Anglican Communion.
Archbishop’s Throne
The Presbytery – Lamb and Flag Roof Boss – The area beyond the end of the choir stalls and in front of the High Altar is called the Presbytery. It is at the crossing point between the north and south wings of the East transepts. If you look up, you will notice the Lamb and Flag Roof Boss. It represents the Lamb of God, carrying the cross, banner or flag, signifying triumph or victory over death and symbol of the Resurrection. It is the work of William of Sens, the architect responsible for the rebuilding the choir following the devastating fire of 1174. It was from this point that he suffered his tragic fall in 1178.
The Lamb and Flag Roof Boss –
Photo: Canterbury Historical and Archaeological Society
St. Augustine’s Chair – To the east, behind the High Altar, stands the ancient stone chair, or cathedra, known as St. Augustine’s Chair. St. Augustine was the first Archbishop of Canterbury between 597-604. According to the Cathedral accounts, the current chair was made between 1201 and 1203 – two earlier chairs of St. Augustine having perished in the devastating fires of 1067 and 1174.
It is made from Petworth marble from Sussex and was probably used for the enthronement of Cardinal Archbishop Stephen Langton (the architect of the Magna Carta) in 1213 and then again for the grand ceremony of the translation of St. Thomas Becket to his Shrine in Trinity Chapel in July 1220.
St. Augustine’s Chair
Tomb of Archbishop Henry Chichele – To the left is the impressive tomb of the Archbishop Henry Chichele, the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1414–1443 and founder of All Souls College, Oxford.
Tomb of Archbishop Chichele
Detail – Tomb of Archbishop Henry Chichele
Cadaver – Tomb of Archbishop Henry Chicele
Up the stairs to the far end behind the high altar, we found a candle in the center of the floor – this was the site of the…
Shrine of St. Thomas of Canterbury (Trinity Chapel) – Here Henry VIII had Thomas Becket’s body removed – legend says that Henry had Becket’s bones burned and the ashes scattered.
The construction of the Trinity Chapel was completed, under the direction of William the Englishman in 1184, just 9 years following the commencement of the rebuilding of the Choir by the unfortunate William of Sens who was so badly injured when he fell from scaffolding during construction of the Choir that he was unable to continue. The decorations and windows were not fully completed until c. 1216-18, following the Prior and monks’ return from exile in France at the end of the protracted dispute between King John and Pope Innocent III over the Pope’s appointment of Archbishop Stephen Langton (1207/1229).
Shrine of Thomas Becket
What’s here? The empty space in the center of the Trinity Chapel, now marked by a single candle, once contained the magnificent Shrine of Thomas Becket, until swept away on the orders of Henry VIII in 1538 – the 12th century Opus Alexandrinum pavement, inlaid into the floor in front of the shrine was left intact. Further along the north aisle, is the tomb of Henry IV and his queen Joan of Navarre. The six stained glass windows that line the north aisle include the Life of Becket Window and four original thirteenth century miracle windows. Beyond Henry IV and his queen Joan are the tombs of Dean Wootton and Archbishop Davidson.
The Opus Alexandrium Pavement – The floor at the western end of the central area of the Trinity Chapel is inlaid with an intricate Italian marble mosaic pavement, known as the Opus Alexandrinum, after the style of mosaic paving associated with the 3rd century Roman Emperor, Alexander Severus.
The pavement is a striking piece of medieval mosaic art, parts of which may predate the shrine itself. The pavement is flanked on either side by 36 roundels representing the twelve signs of the Zodiac, the twelve months of the year, and seven virtues and vices, interspersed by some mythological beasts. The origin of the roundels is unknown, although it is possible that they have an association with St. Omer, France to where the monks of the Priory were exiled between 1207 and 1213 during the prolonged quarrel between Pope Innocent III and King John over the appointment of a new Archbishop of Canterbury.
The Opus Alexandrium Pavement
The ‘Crown’ (Corona) Chapel – The chapel at the far east end of the church once held another Becket relic – his head. The chapel is now dedicated to “Saints and Martyrs of Our Own Time” – such as Martin Luther King, Jr. to El Salvador’s Oscar Romano – page through the binders on either side of the entrance to review the stories of these inspirational pillars of faith.
The Corona Chapel
The Corona, completed by William the Englishman in 1184, is unique in English Cathedral architecture and was built specifically to house the ‘corona’ (the crown, or top part of the skull) of St. Thomas Becket.
The clerk Edward Grim’s graphic, first-hand account of Becket’s murder in December 1170 describes how Richard le Breton’s final sword blow severed the crown of Becket’s scalp and snapped the point of le Breton’s sword. The crown was recovered from the crime scene by the monks and preserved in a silver reliquary. Pilgrims visiting the Corona Chapel were able to view and, if of sufficient status, also kiss the reliquary.
The Burial of Christ (c. 1982) – This sculpture in the Corona Chapel is a copy in bronze of an original sculpture made by Kenyan sculptor Rosemary Namuli in 1947. It shows Christ’s body wrapped in cloth, as it would be at an East African funeral. The four bearers (possibly representing the Apostles) envelope and protect the body with their large hands as they carry it on their shoulders.
The Burial of Christ by Rosemary Namuli
The first ambulatory window on the north aisle of Trinity Chapel is the…
Life of Becket Window – This window is the first of the miracle windows in the north aisle, but is different in that it shows scenes from Becket’s life and is therefore dealt with separately. The window, in part, dates from the early 13th century but also has portions added or heavily restored in the 19th century.
Life of Becket Window
Detail from the Life of Becket Window
Just outside the ‘Crown (Corona)’ Chapel, on both the north and south aisles of Trinity Chapel, are…
Miracle Windows – Canterbury Cathedral’s ‘miracle windows’ are a triumph of early Gothic pictorial narrative. Originally encompassing all twelve of the ambulatory windows in the cathedral’s Trinity Chapel, the series portrayed scenes from the life of Thomas Becket (d. 1170) and many dozens of his posthumous miracles. Eight of the twelve windows now retain at least some medieval glass, with the best survivals in the north aisle windows. Famed for their images of men, women and children suffering from ailments such as blindness, leprosy, dropsy, wounds, and multiple forms of disability, the miracle windows are an unparalleled storehouse of medieval pilgrimage imagery.
Most of these miracle windows date from the early 13th century. They are so-called miracle windows because they depict some the of miracles from the Miracles of St. Thomas of Canterbury (Miracula Sancti Thomae Cantuariensis), recorded by Benedict of Peterborough (with later contributions by William of Canterbury) from their observations at the first tomb of Thomas Becket in the crypt between 1171 and 1180.
Miracle Window
Miracle Windows – Detail
Tomb of Henry IV and Joan of Navarre – Henry IV (1399/1413) is the only monarch to be buried in the Cathedral (his tomb straddles Trinity Chapel and the North Aisle). He was the first Lancastrian king and, incidentally, the first king to give his coronation speech in English. Here, he lies alongside his second wife Joan of Navarre, who died in 1437, surviving him by 24 years. The tomb was built two years after Joan’s death by the master mason Richard Beke.
Tomb of Henry IV and Joan of Navarre
Joan of Navarre (1370-1437) was the second wife of Henry IV. In 1832, due to rumors that Henry IV was not actually buried here in this tomb, the Dean and some canons inspected the tomb, some 419 years after the burial. They had to saw through the lid of the coffin, and then cut through a leaden case within. Under this they found leather wrappers “of a deep brown color and earthy smell”, according to historic documents posted online by the Kent Archaeological Society. “These wrappers were cut through and lifted off, when, to the astonishment of all present, the face of the deceased King was seen in complete preservation”.
Tomb of Dean Wootton – This tomb is between the Tomb of Henry IV and the Corona Chapel. Nicholas Wootton (c. 1497 – January 26, 1567) was an English diplomat, cleric and courtier. He served as Dean of York and Royal Envoy to Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.
The effigy shows the Dean kneeling in his Doctor of Divinity surplice, with an obelisk towering above him. The Latin epitaph (written by the Dean himself) on the pillar nearby, praises his many accomplishments, adding that he was “indeed slim of build, and though of small stature, yet upright, he had a healthy constitution and the look of a gentleman.”
Tomb of Dean Wootton
Detail – Tomb of Dean Wootton
Tomb of the Black Prince – Marked by a famous sculpture on his tomb in the Southern aisle of the Trinity Chapel, this is the final resting place of the Black Prince, Edward of Woodstock (d. 1376). The Prince of Wales and the eldest son of Edward III, the Black Prince was famous for his cunning in battle and his chivalry – the original “knight in shining armor”. As heir apparent, he died before his father and so his son, Richard II, succeeded to the throne instead.
Edward of Woodstock’s tomb here in the Trinity Chapel (attributed to Master Mason Henry Yevele) is made of Purbeck marble, and his magnificent brass-overgilt effigy shows him in full armor, spurred and helmeted, with a curious animal at his feet. The animal is said to be a leopard, though it has also been described as a small bulldog. Shields around the base of the tomb feature the fleur de lys (signifying the Plantagenet claim to the French throne) and the Prince’s coat of arms – a plume of three ostrich feathers and the motto “Ich diene – “I serve” – a motto which has been adopted by all subsequent Princes of Wales.
Tomb of the Black Prince
Animal at the Black Prince’s feet
From the south aisle of the Trinity Chapel, we headed to the stairs and paused at the top…
Pilgrims’ Steps – As we left the south aisle of Trinity Chapel, via the steps down towards the south choir aisle, we stopped to view the Pilgrims’ Steps. For over 300 years from 1220 (until the Reformation of Henry VIII swept it all away in 1538) pilgrims were expected to climb this last flight of steps to reach the Shrine of Thomas Becket on their knees. The groove worn into the stone steps by the knees of hundreds of thousands of pilgrims is clearly visible.
Pilgrims’ Steps
At the bottom of the steps, we turned left to enter…
St. Anselm’s Chapel – This twelfth century chapel was originally dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul. Following Anselm’s death in 1109 he was translated and buried in the cathedral close to the resting place of Archbishop Lanfranc. His remains are believed to have been relocated to this chapel during the rebuilding and reorganization of the cathedral in the 1170s, after which the chapel became known as St. Anselm’s Chapel. In 1888 major restoration work took place to the chapel and was instrumental in uncovering the twelfth century wall painting of St. Paul in the north alcove.
Fresco – St. Paul and the Viper – St. Anselm Chapel
The Altar of St. Anselm – On April 21, 2006 there was a special mass held to mark the consecration of a new altar in the Chapel of St Anselm in the cathedral crypt. Anselm was the archbishop of Canterbury Cathedral from 1093 to 1109. During his primacy the eastern end of the cathedral was considerably remodeled and the length of the building nearly doubled. Renowned as an influential theologian, philosopher and statesman of his time, he was canonized about 1170 and declared a doctor (or teacher) of the church in 1720. The marble altar was a gift from the people of Regione Autonama Valle d’Aosta. Weighing in at twenty tons the altar was assembled in the chapel from nine separate pieces of stone because, according to its creator, it was too heavy to be one piece.
St. Anselm Altar
St. Anselm Window – This window in the Anselm chapel is the only example of a 14th century Decorated Gothic window in the cathedral and is in the Kent style with split cusps and pendants in the tracery. Harry Stammers (d 1969), a well-known stained glass designer from York, replaced the glass lost in WWII with this new brightly colored glass in 1959. St. Anselm was the second Norman archbishop between 1093 and 1109, a great theologian and initiated the building of the major extension of the earlier Norman church of Lanfranc. The main five lights show the five people important in his life and beneath each a story connected with each.
Saint Anselm Window
Detail – St. Anselm Window
Continuing down the south aisle, we turned left into the…
Southeast Transept – The stained-glass windows in this transept are refreshingly modern, created by Hungarian-born artist and refugee Ervin Bossányi, commissioned to replace windows damaged by WWII bombs. The themes are “Salvation” (left) and “Peace Among the Nations” (with Jesus blessing all different races – on the right).
“Salvation” Window
“Peace Among the Nations” Window
We exited the Cathedral by the Southwest Transept door.
Self-Guided Tour of Canterbury – Next, we followed Rick Steves’ suggested self-guided tour of the town of Canterbury, adding a detour to see the “Crooked House” of Canterbury.
Christ Church Gate – We started our self-guided tour of Canterbury at Christ Church Gate. Above the high point of the arch are the royal Tudor coats of arms and the Tudor rose (the family seal of Arthur and Henry). To the right of the rose is the coat of arms of Catherine of Aragon (part of today’s Spain – notice the red and yellow stripes). A modern bronze statue of Jesus welcomes all who enter.
Christ Church Gate
Modern Christ statue welcoming guests – Christ Church Gate
Behind us is…
Buttermarket Square – Originally a dairy market, this square served as the center of Canterbury. In its center is a World War I Memorial (later amended to memorialize both World Wars). Notice the shield with three black birds (called cloughs, related to the crow – taken from the personal coat of arms of Thomas Becket). This is the symbol of Canterbury.
World War I Memorial – Buttermarket Square
Fish and Chips – Buttermarket Square
Now we walked a block southeast and turned right on…
Butchery Lane – This classic street was built with overhangs to maximize space.
Overhanging buildings
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Butchery Lane sign
To the right on Butchery Lane is a passageway to a small courtyard that was a classic “coaching inn” that was designed to offer horses safe off street parking.
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Passageway to a courtyard (former “coaching inn”)
On our left are the columns of the Canterbury Roman Museum, which contains Roman artifacts discovered after WWII bombs exposed the ancient foundations of the city.
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Entrance to the Canterbury Roman Museum
On the right, find the bull’s head. Each street in a market town like Canterbury had a different specialty. This street (Butchery Lane), was the location of the slaughterhouse.
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Bull’s Head on Butchery Lane
At the end of Butchery Lane, we turned left and walked a block to see St. George’s Street, where there are several new buildings, and, in the distance, St. George’s Tower.
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St. George’s Tower
We turned around and walked one block past Butchery Lane, to see…
Canterbury’s Historic Main Intersection – This intersection marked the heart of the pilgrim’s Canterbury. Pilgrims would enter through the Westgate, at the far end of High Street. They would turn up Mercery Lane (to our right) to reach the Cathedral. On the left is St. Margaret’s Street, where recently Roman baths have been discovered (not open to the public yet).
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Canterbury’s Historic Intersection
Mercery Lane – We now headed up Mercery Lane ourselves. On the right, we noticed the gargoyles on beams on the first building on the right. As Rick Steves says, this is likely an indication that plaque victims died here; the gargoyles were meant to scare away evil spirits.
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Gargoyles on the beams of the first building
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View of Christ Church Gate and the Cathedral from Mercery Lane
At the end of Mercery Lane, we’re now back where we started…
Sun Street – Now, per Rick Steves instructions, we followed Sun Street around the outside of the cathedral grounds. On our left, we noticed the Sun Hotel, featured by Charles Dickens in “David Copperfield”.
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Sun Hotel
Palace Street – At the next intersection, we reached “Palace Street”, better known as “King’s Street”. On our right is the Café Chambers. A plaque nearby identifies this as the place where the Pilgrims signed the papers to hire the Mayflower for their passage to the New World.
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Plaque identifying the sight where the Pilgrims signed the papers to hire the Mayflower
The “Crooked House” – Rick Steves says in his self-guided walking tour to turn left here onto Orange Street. We wanted instead to see the “Crooked House” of Canterbury, so we continued onto Palace Street for a few blocks until we found this house on the left.
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The “Crooked House”
Now a bookstore, apparently Sir John Boys House, or The Crooked House, is a 17th century half-timbered building on Palace Street. The amazing front door, which leans at an exaggerated angle, was built with severely skewed corners to fit the door frame. Allegedly caused by alterations to a chimney, an internal steel frame now prevents the building from slipping any further.
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The front door of the “Crooked House”
River Stour – We did an about-face and now returned to Orange Street, where we turned right and followed the street and paused at the River Stour just before reaching a modern building (Marlowe Theatre – see below). Rick Steves says the building sticking out along the river was a dormitory for the Blackfriars, who used the part over the river as a convenient toilet.
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River Stour – Old Blackfriars building
Marlowe Theatre – on the right is the modern Marlowe Theatre, named for Shakespeare’s rival, and a Canterbury native, Christopher Marlowe.
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Marlowe Theatre
Best Lane – We did another about face, and turned right on Best Lane. Rick Steves pointed out that the building on the right is a classic Tudor home, wided with roof shingles (painted white).
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Classic Tudor home sided with roof shingles (painted white)
On the left, we passed the TI and the Beany House of Knowledge and continued until we reached the next intersection and High Street Square. On our right was the…
Statue of Geoffrey Chaucer – Around the base of the monument are characters from The Canterbury Tales – each one a portrait of a present-day resident who paid for the privilege of being depicted (see the list of donors on the back).
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Statue of Geoffrey Chaucer
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Base of the Statue with paid portraits of local residents
We now headed right down High Street and passed the Pilgrim’s Hospital (closed), and stopped when we reached the River Stour again. On our right we saw the…
Old Weaver’s House – open daily, 11 am – 9 pm; now a recommended restaurant – serves wine/beer, shakes, ice cream, desserts, variety of food; +44 1227 464 660; www.weaversrestaurant.co.uk/.
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Old Weaver’s House
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View along the River Stour by the Old Weaver’s House
From here, we continued down High Street a few blocks until we reached…
Westgate Tower – Canterbury had seven gates – this is the last survivor (from 1380). Cost and Hours – Museum open Monday – Sunday (closed Saturdays), 12 pm – 3:45 pm; £4.00; 1 Pound Ln, Canterbury CT1 2BZ, +44 1227 808 755; www.onepoundlane.co.uk.
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Westgate Tower
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Street art across from Westgate Tower
Westgate Park – From Westgate Tower, we took another little detour on our self-guided walk and toured Westgate Park (just south of Westgate Tower). This turned out to be a lovely park along a river, with beautiful flowers and a large plane tree (you’ll see another one later on the Canterbury Cathedral Grounds tour).
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Westgate Park
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Westgate Park plane tree
Our Canterbury Self-Guided Walking Tour is over. We made our walk back down High Street, turning left on Mercery Lane (as the pilgrims did), and returned to our accomodation at the Canterbury Cathedral Lodge.
Evensong – At 5:15 pm, we headed back to the Cathedral, to watch the free 5:30 pm, 40-minute Evensong service. It was a regular Anglican service, with beautiful vocals by the choir.
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Evensong at Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral at Night – Due to our close proximity to the Cathedral, we were able to see it lit up at night from our accommodation.
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Our accommodation and Canterbury Cathedral lit up at night
Self-Guided Tour of the Canterbury Cathedral Grounds – In the early morning, I toured the grounds of Canterbury Cathedral (Nancy slept in). The Canterbury Cathedral stands within its own walled area, surrounded by medieval buildings and ruins (the precinct). The precinct is open daily from 7 am – 9 pm – free.
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Map of Canterbury Cathedral Grounds
(we couldn’t access the Crooked House from the grounds – the gate is only open to King’s School students)
My tour of the Canterbury Cathedral Grounds start by walking from our accommodation (Canterbury Cathedral Lodge) towards the east end of the Cathedral. The first sight I came upon on the grounds was the…
Son of Man Sculpture – The Son of Man statue stands outside the eastern end of Canterbury Cathedral. Artist David McFall created this statue and completed it as his own life came to an end.
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Son of Man sculpture
Canterbury War Horse – Nearby is a lovely, large, wicker horse that is a stunning memorial to the millions of horses who gave their lives in the First World War. Nicknamed Joey, after the horse in Michael Morpurgo’s classic novel ‘Warhorse’, the 20 ft structure commemorates the centenary of the end of the First World War. It was built by students and staff from Canterbury College, with the amazing support from local businesses.
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Canterbury War Horse
Plane Tree – Nearby there is a Plane Tree – a distinctive tree with bulbous bark and impressive wide trunks. At least three were planted around the city in the early 1800s (we saw one on our Canterbury self-guided tour in Westgate Park), and all together seven similar trees can be found around Canterbury.
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Plane Tree
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Plane Tree Sign
Friends Garden – Just northeast of the Plane Tree is Friends Garden, highlighted by a statue of ‘The Buff’, which commemorates the Royal East Kent Regiment whose history dates back to 1572.
With support from The Patron’s Fund, this garden is a wildlife hub which provides year-round interest. There are plenty of benches to relax and soak up the tranquil surroundings.
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Friends Garden
Memorial Garden – Through a gate just east of Friends Garden, the Memorial Garden has, as you might expect, memorial stones.
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Access gate to Memorial Garden
The central cross was inspired by the Cross of Sacrifice in Belgium, and shows the Crusader’s Sword, the Ship of Sea Power, and a wreath of roses and lilies.
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The Central Cross
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Memorial Garden sign
The ‘Khachkar’ cross, crafted from Armenian volcanic stone, commemorates the Armenian Genocide of 1914-1923.
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The ‘Khachkar’ Cross
And the tall ‘Wilberforce Standing Stone’ reflects William WIlberforce’s contribution to the abolition of slavery.
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Wilberforce Standing Stone
Infirmary Ruins – Upon exiting the Memorial Garden I made my way around the eastern end of the Cathedral. There were several ruins of the former monastic infirmary and chapel. After the Reformation, the infirmary was converted into houses, but by the 19th century they had fallen into disrepair.
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Infirmary Ruins
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Infirmary Ruins sign
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Sign by the Healing/Herb Garden showing the location of Canterbury Cathedral’s monastic ruins
Passageway to Green Court – Behind the cathedral, I entered a gate and turned right to make my way to the Green Court.
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Access to Green Court
Green Court, King’s School – Once through the access point, a large expanse of greenway and King’s School came into view.
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Green Court with King’s School in the background
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King’s School
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The Cathedral from the Green Court
Memorial Court, Norman Staircase, and Pilgrim’s Hall – At the far northwestern edge of Green Court, was located the Memorial Court, Norman Staircase, and Pilgrim’s Hall.
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Memorial Court, Norman Staircase and Pilgrim’s Hall
Now I made my way back through the access point to the Green Court and turned right into the Canterbury cloisters to see, on my right, under arches, the…
Water Tower – The Water Tower is an octagonal tower adjacent to the Cathedral building on the north side, behind the cloisters. This Romanesque tower is supported by a series of interwoven arches that look quite artistic. It was crafted by the order of Prior Wilbert to get a clean water supply to the priory buildings. The Water Tower dates back to the 12th century or earlier. Part of its piping survives and is functioning today. There is a large basin and a fountain in the center of the tower for washing.
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Water Tower
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Arches of the Water Tower
To the west of the Water Tower is the…
Herb/Healing Garden – This is a newly planted garden, also named the Herbarium, on the site of the Medieval monk’s dormitory adjacent to the original Monastic Herbarium. The Healing Garden is part of the Cathedral Gardens and comprises a large Deanery garden, small orchard, rare Medlar tree and herbaceous and vegetable garden. Enclosed on three sides, the Healing Garden is planted with herbs that have been used for thousands of years and had been used by the first Monks for healing purposes. Most of these herbs are used by modern day herbalists.
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Healing/Herb Garden
My tour of the Canterbury Cathedral grounds is over. I now returned to our accommodation by exiting the Healing/Herb Garden through a doorway directly to the south, then by turning west to the cloisters (and then passing through the door from the Great Cloister to The Martyrdom, then through the tunnel to the Southwest Transept and the Cathedral exit).
Breakfast at the Canterbury Cathedral Lodge – We had a wonderful breakfast once I returned from the grounds self-guided tour, and got ready for our next destination, Rye…
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Breakfast at the Canterbury Cathedral Lodge