Canterbury Cathedral
Whenever you visit Kent, touring across the magnificent Canterbury Cathedral is certainly the most spectacular moment. It is one of the UNESCO's World Heritage Sites and a renowned tourist destination amongst visitors and tourists. On visiting this beautiful place, you will be presented with breathtaking architecture and a rich history that continues to draw people.
It's here, in the heart of English Christianity, that St. Augustine gained his first converts among some of the pagan Anglo Saxons and then became the first bishop in 597. Canterbury is a major entertainment and cultural attraction and one of Britain's renowned Heritage sites. It has a plethora of historically significant attractions to see.
Canterbury Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is regarded as the Mother Church of the global Anglican Communion. It is one of the country's most important and ancient Christian constructions, including several centuries worth of architectural styles.
This attractive sight is famed for being the site of Archbishop Thomas Becket's assassination in 1170. Standing in the exact place in the Northwest Transept where this horrible crime was executed nearly 900 years ago is still terrifying.
Yet another very interesting spot to check out here is the 'Choir.' The beautiful stonework of the choir screen, which dates from 1411, is carved with angels bearing shields and the crowned statues of six royals: Henry V, Ethelbert of Kent, Richard II, Henry IV, Edward the Confessor, and Henry VI.
Canterbury Cathedral is home to a great collection of memorials. Among the finest is that of Archbishop Henry Chichele, founder of Oxford's All Souls College. The Archbishop is depicted twice - once in full costume, and again as a corpse, a metaphor of the fleeting nature of earthly riches.
Stained glass windows from the late 12th and 13th centuries adorn the Choir walls on both sides of the Corona (a circular chapel at the far east end). The Miracle Windows, commonly referred to as the Thomas Becket Windows, portray scenes from Thomas Becket's lifetime and are part of a broader series that includes Old and New Testament subjects.
The oldest section of the Canterbury Cathedral is the massive 12th-century Norman Crypt. The pillars, featuring magnificently carved Norman capitals and ornamented shafts, are also noteworthy with vestiges of Romanesque works of art. Creatures, plant decoration, and devils are among the many motifs reflecting influences from the Middle East, Byzantium, and Lombardy.
After that, have a look inside the early 15th-century Chapter House. It features stunning Irish bog oak barrel vaulting.
The golden shrine of St. Thomas Becket stood in the Trinity Chapel, with its massive canopy elevated to provide tourists a glimpse of the gem-encrusted coffin housing his bones. The alabaster tombs of Henry IV and his wife Joan of Navarre are now housed in the chapel. Yet, another well-known tomb at Canterbury Cathedral is King Edward III's eldest son, the Black Prince. Also known as Edward of Woodstock, a real knight best known for his support of the English cause during the Hundred Year's War.
Information About Canterbury Cathedral
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Note – Opening timings can change. Visit the official website to get an update.
https://www.canterbury-cathedral.org/