While spending a month in Whitstable, we couldn’t resist hopping the bus for nearby Canterbury, the most famous and historic city in Kent. And the main thing to do if you should find yourself in Canterbury? Visit the Cathedral, of course! This magnificent structure is one of the oldest Christian buildings in England, and spiritual home of the Anglican Church.
Our initial plan while in Canterbury had been to quickly visit the Cathedral, then hurry over to take a boat ride along the River Stour. But because of recent rains, the water was too high in the river and all boat rides were cancelled. So we found ourselves with extra time to devote to the Cathedral, and soon understood that this was actually a blessing. There’s simply no way we would have been able to “hurry through” the Cathedral. This incredible complex demands as much of your time as you can spare.
Originally founded in 597 AD by St. Augustine, Canterbury Cathedral has undergone many changes over the centuries. After a fire in 1174, it was rebuilt in the Romanesque style, and significantly expanded in the Gothic style during the 12th and 14th centuries. One of the most pivotal events in its history was the murder of Archbishop Thomas Becket in 1170, which turned the cathedral into a major pilgrimage site, famously depicted in Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales.
We entered the Cathedral through the stunning Great South-West Door. Almost as soon as we got inside, Jürgen and I became separated from one another. He had made it no further than five steps into the cathedral, before pausing to take photographs of every angle, every bit of gorgeous stained glass, every gothic architectural element. I didn’t even realize I was leaving him behind, as I walked deeper into the nave with my head on a swivel, eyes gobbling up every detail they could.
I climbed the Pulpitum Steps, and went into the lovely gothic Quire, built over 850 years ago. From here, I went to the South Quire Aisle, where I was bathed in colored light shining through enormous stained glass windows. I found the Water Tower, with its exhibition about the lives of the monks who once lived here. I passed by the site of Thomas Becket’s murder, and headed down into the Crypt. I explored the Great Cloister and the adjacent Refectory, where the monks would gather to eat.
At some point, I realized that I had no idea where Jürgen was, and set out in search of him. This was no simple task, given the size and complexity of the Cathedral’s grounds, but it was a ton of fun. While circling through the various halls and chambers, I kept discovering rooms I hadn’t initially seen, or finding unexpected paths. After just fifteen minutes of Jürgen-hunting, passing through the same sections over and over, I started to really understand the cathedral’s layout.
It was the last spot I looked, but I should’ve known where he was: still at the beginning of the Nave, hardly moved from where I had left him … what, an hour ago? And now I understood how long of a visit this was about to be. But I also knew that the photos he was taking would probably be spectacular, so I bit my tongue and continued doing circles around the Cathedral. There are worse ways to spend a couple hours.
If you can’t make it to Canterbury to see the Cathedral in real-life, there’s a fantastic virtual tour online, which really manages to convey a sense of the building’s size and beauty.
From our Travel Blog.
