171 Canterbury Cathedral
By Maggy Hendry
From the surrounding hills Canterbury Cathedral appears to be floating above the city. It pops up in unexpected places and is especially ethereal on a misty day where it can be seen snuggling within the older parts of the city. An oasis of peace in the commercial heart of the city the original cathedral, now lying beneath the floor of the nave was founded in 597 AD by St Augustine. The Saxon church was destroyed by fire in 1057, and rebuilt in 1070 by the Normans. In spite of the early fires, pillage during the Reformation and attacks by Puritans, the Cathedral remained and was largely unscathed by several heavy bombings aimed at it during the Second World War. The city bore the brunt of these and the visitor will see that a number of modern areas are mixed in with the ancient city. Most of these have been built over areas of bomb damage.
The murder of Archbishop Thomas Becket in the north-east transept in 1170 marked a dark chapter in the history of the Cathedral and for over 300 years until the Reformation, his tomb in the cathedral was one of the most visited places of pilgrimage. It was to St Thomas’s shrine that Chaucer’s pilgrims journeyed to visit his relics and thank him for his help in time of need. His original shrine was flanked on one side by the tomb of Edward, the Black Prince and on the other by the tomb of Henry IV and his queen, Joan of Navarre. The shrine was despoiled in Henry VIII’s reign and Becket’s remains were hidden in a location which is still a matter of conjecture. Where once there stood an elaborate jewelled casket there is now a simple single candle, perhaps a more eloquent reminder of the saint. A controversial modern monument to Thomas Becket called the Martyrdom now stands in the North West Transept where he was murdered. It consists of three pieces of jagged green metalwork hanging above a marble representation of an altar and was added to disapproval in some quarters in 1986. Another modern addition to the cathedral to cause controversy is the green metal statue of a ghostly looking Christ which looms above the Christ Church (main) gate.
Among the Cathedral’s obvious architectural wonders there are many other charming features to look out for – some splendid medieval paintings on the walls, the graffiti of 17th century monks, a lovely tapestry on the pulpit in the crypt for example. In the grounds visitors can walk through the cloisters and move on round the back where there is a Gormenghastian conglomeration of charming higgledy piggledy ancient buildings which once housed monks, their infirmary and even an ancient water tower to provide for them.
The Cathedral is closed to visitors during services but the tourist will sometimes be lucky enough to catch choir practice and will be charmed by the sweet voices and the magnificent acoustics of the place.
The Cathedral, forms part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site with St Augustine’s Abbey and St Martin’s Church.
For much more information
Telephone +44(0)1227 762 862
E-mail Enquiries@Canterbury-Cathedral.org.
Website: www.canterbury-cathedral.org