Canterbury Cathedral



Canterbury Cathedral is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England and forms part of a World Heritage Site. It is the cathedral of the Archbishop of Canterbury, leader of theChurch of England and symbolic leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

Founded in 597, the cathedral was completely rebuilt from 1070 to 1077. The east end was greatly enlarged at the beginning of the twelfth century, and largely rebuilt in the Gothic style following a fire in 1174, with significant eastward extensions to accommodate the flow of pilgrims visiting the shrine of Thomas Becket, the archbishop who was murdered in the cathedral in 1170. The Norman nave and transepts survived until the late fourteenth century, when they were demolished to make way for the present structures.

Entrance to the Cathedral is free for those with a University of Kent student card and is well worth a visit for those with a spare hour and little money. Of course Kent students also graduate within the Cathedral so all students will see it. A popular rumour at the university is that if you graduate with a 1st you can get married at the Cathedral; this is very much false as answered here by the university.