Canterbury Cathedral

Canterbury Cathedral is the building that put the city on the map. Founded in 597 by Augustine, it grew into one of the great Gothic cathedrals of England, and it is the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the mother church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. In 1170 Archbishop Thomas Becket was murdered inside it, and within a few years his shrine had made Canterbury the most visited pilgrimage destination in the country, which is the world Chaucer later wrote about. Today you walk into a soaring nave, climb to the choir and the Trinity Chapel where the shrine once stood, and look up at some of the oldest stained glass in Britain. Outside, the cloisters and the Precincts give the building a calm setting, and the whole complex forms part of the Canterbury World Heritage Site.

Plan the visit around the opening pattern. The cathedral is open most days from the morning, with a later start on Sundays, and last admission comes an hour before closing, so arrive with at least ninety minutes in hand. Admission is a single sightseeing ticket that is cheaper from October to March, and the ticket can be turned into an annual pass that lets you come back for a year, which is good value if you are staying a few days.

A media guide can be hired at a modest charge, and short talks and activity trails are included with entry, subject to availability.

Look for the places where history is easiest to read. The spot in the north-west transept known as the Martyrdom marks where Becket fell. Beyond the choir, the Trinity Chapel holds the site of his shrine, now marked by a single candle, and its surrounding windows are among the finest medieval glass in the country.

Down in the crypt you find some of the oldest Romanesque stonework in the building, and the Trinity Chapel holds the tombs of the Black Prince and Henry IV. The cloisters are a good place to sit for a few minutes before the crowds build.

Time your visit with Evensong in mind. Choral Evensong is sung in the quire on most days at half past five, entry is free, and it is the best way to hear the building as it was meant to sound. Because the cathedral is a working church, it can close to sightseers for services, ordinations and special events, and December is busy with carol services.

Check the closures page the week you travel. Pair the visit with a guided walk to put the building in its city, then walk the short distance to St Augustine's Abbey, which belongs to the same World Heritage Site.