Canterbury Cathedral

Canterbury cathedral is a wonderful example of gothic architecture in Britain. It was, of course, a very important place of pilgrimage in the Middle Ages, as people visited the shrine of Thomas a Becket, the archbishop who was brutally murdered in the cathedral in 1170 by some knights of Henry II.

It is now the seat of the archbishop of Canterbury, who is the Primate of all England. The seat was created in 597 AD when St Augustine was sent from Rome to convert the Anglo-Saxons to Christianity, but found that Christianity was already here.

The original building was destroyed in 1067 but was rebuilt in Norman style. The Bell Harry Tower was added in the late 15th century.

To be found in the cathedral are the tombs of Edward, the Black Prince and Henry IV. The shrine of Thomas Becket was destroyed by order of Henry VIII.