Canterbury, one of England’s most important religious destinations, has welcomed hordes of pilgrims to its grand cathedral for centuries. A tourists’ delight, the cathedral is one of the oldest and most significant churches in England, because of a couple of King Henrys, St. Augustine, and Thomas Becket.
Canterbury, like many cities in southern England, was originally founded by the pagan Romans. In 597, the pope sent Augustine to convert England’s King Ethelbert to Christianity. After Ethelbert joined the Church, he allowed Augustine, the first Archbishop of Canterbury, to start a church (on the site of the current Canterbury Cathedral) and set up a monastery.
Today only the foundations of St. Augustine’s Abbey are visible. In the 16th century, King Henry VIII had the abbey dismantled. As part of Henry’s infamous temper tantrum against the Catholic Church – which wouldn’t allow him to end his first of many marriages – the abbey was one of many that Henry “dissolved.” The new era of Anglicanism, also known as the Church of England, had begun, born from Henry VIII’s immorality.
You don’t need to go far to find the center of Anglicanism in Britain. The Canterbury Cathedral is home to the Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury, the leader of the Church of England.
An earlier King Henry also tangled with the Church in Canterbury … and drew blood. In 1162, Henry II appointed Thomas Becket to be Archbishop of Canterbury. Henry tapped Becket for the job because he thought Becket, his friend and royal chancellor, might take his side in disputes and quell the growing conflicts between church and state.
But Becket took his job seriously and refused to budge on many issues. As tensions grew, Henry is said to have exclaimed out of frustration, “Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?” His staff took his words literally. Knights were sent to the cathedral and killed Becket while he prayed. The murder of the hugely powerful archbishop was an outrage, and even the king could not avoid retribution. He was forced to walk barefoot through town while being flogged by priests.
Not long after Becket’s assassination in 1170, miracles began occurring in the cathedral, prompting the pope to canonize Becket. The buzz about miracles began to spread, drawing pilgrims who hoped that, by coming to this holy site, they could decrease their time spent in purgatory after death. Becket’s influence extends into modern times: in the 1930s, the poet T.S. Eliot told Becket’s tale in his play, “Murder in the Cathedral.”
After centuries of architectural evolution, today’s cathedral is a sprawling, eclectic structure. A modest monument to Becket (to the left of the altar) marks the spot of his death. Other worthwhile sights within the church include a bell that once rang from the HMS Canterbury, dispatched to fight pesky colonialists during the American Revolution. A choral evensong concert takes place in the cathedral Monday through Saturday (check www.canterbury-cathedral.org for times and information).
Geoffrey Chaucer fictionalized the experiences of pilgrims in his famous “Canterbury Tales,” a collection of fables and bawdy stories told by a diverse group of travelers on their way to Becket’s tomb. This story is told in Canterbury in a silly, cheesy fashion at “The Canterbury Tales” audio-visual show, presenting “the sights, sounds and smells of olde England” with a cast of creepy mannequins. It’s better to read Chaucer’s book to get a sense of the spirit of the city in the Middle Ages.Today, you’ll likely see more iPods than pilgrims in this funky college town. But even 1,400 years after St. Augustine broke ground, the cathedral still beckons with its compelling history of a martyr and miracles.
Rick Steves of Edmonds (425-771-8303, www.ricksteves.com) is the author of 30 European travel guidebooks, including “Europe Through the Back Door.” He hosts a public radio show, “Travel with Rick Steves” (Saturdays at 2 p.m. on KUOW 94.9 FM) and the public television series “Rick Steves’ Europe” on KCTS, airing most weeknights at 7 p.m. This week’s schedule:
Monday: Travel Skills Special, Part 2
Tuesday: Travel Skills Special, Part 3
Wednesday: Venice: Serene, Decadent, and Still Kicking
Friday: Venice side trips
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
