How to visit Canterbury Cathedral: schedules, ticket prices

In your tourist trip through the south of England, when you go to visit the canterbury gothic cathedralThe first thing that will impress you is its imposing dimensions.

From the medieval street that is the central axis of Canterbury, you have to pass under the spectacular Christ Church Gate, and thus you will access the area where the great cathedral building is located surrounded by a meadow.

From there, you will appreciate its unmistakable Gothic architectural style, as well as the reminiscences of the old Romanesque building, which was destroyed by fire in the 12th century.

Canterbury Cathedral, seat of the Anglican Church in England

At the outset you should know that the canterbury cathedral It is historically the main headquarters of the Church of england, that is, of the Anglican church.

El Archbishop of Canterbury Cathedral is the representative head of said church, which dates back to the year 1534 when the King Henry VIII of England declared the separation of the Roman Catholic Church.

Curiosities history of Canterbury Cathedral

El origin of canterbury cathedral is found at the arrival of Saint Augustine, sent in the year 597 by the Pope Gregory the Great to achieve the conversion of the Anglo-Saxons to Christianity.

It was initially established in St Martin's Church, which is still preserved in Canterbury, but soon a first cathedral building was built next to the remains of the walls of the ancient Roman city.

Thus Saint Augustine he became the first archbishop of Canterbury, and the current archbishop is 104th in the line of succession.

From then on, the cathedral building underwent numerous renovations and extensions.

After those carried out by the Saxons, in the year 1070 The Normans built a new building on top of the previous one, which had been destroyed by fire.

At the same time, the religious community of the church came to be run by the Benedictine monks.

An important historical event was the beheading in 1170 of the then Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Beckett.

Shortly after, a new fire forced another renovation, and that was when the canterbury cathedral It acquired the Gothic architectural style that now characterizes it.

The enormous choir of the cathedral and its beautiful stained glass windows They go back to that time.

La canterbury cathedral stopped being a Benedictine monastery in 1540, when at the time of Henry VIII The dissolution of the monasteries was declared.

In the cathedral building is the tomb of Saint Thomas of Canterbury (Thomas Beckett) And Black Princeson of king edward iii, died in 1376.

This is the experience of visiting Canterbury Cathedral

The main entrance of the canterbury cathedral You find it in the southwest portico, and it was built between 1424 and 1459.

Canterbury Cathedral Towers

For its part, the central tower of canterbury cathedral which you can now see was built in 1510.

Known as the Bell Harry Tower, is 91 meters high, and replaced a previous Norman tower that was demolished years before.

And the same thing happened with the northwest tower, which was demolished in 1700 and replaced by a new tower that was completed in 1830.

Nave of Canterbury Cathedral

The ship, with its 60 meters in length, makes the canterbury cathedral in one of the longest medieval churches.

At the back is the choir, from 1184, with its spectacular stone façade known as the pulpit, built in 1455.

Trinity Chapel in Caterbury

On the east side of the choir is the Trinity Chapel, a large chapel located at a higher height than the rest of the cathedral, which you access by a staircase, and in which between 1220 and 1538 there was a tomb with the relics of Saint Thomas Becket.

Now a candle shows us the place where said tomb was.

During your walk through the interior of the canterbury cathedral you have to look at the beautiful medieval stained glass windows that decorate many corners of the side naves.

It is also worth highlighting other corners such as the crypt built at the beginning of the 12th century, where you can see Romanesque murals, as well as the cloister.

Tomb of the Black Prince in Canterbury Cathedral

Special focus on your visit must have the aforementioned tomb of the Black Prince.

You will be able to see the spectacular recumbent effigy supporting the copper armor of someone who was the son of the king edward iii, who died in 1376 without becoming king.

The black color of his armor, a gift from his father, is the reason why Edward of Woodstock It was known during the 14th century as the Black Prince.

When you contemplate his beautiful tomb, it will surely bring to your imagination the warlike adventures of the Middle Ages, in which Black Prince He was one of the most famous characters.

A fan of knight tournaments, hunting and falconry, Edward of Woodstock was sent to France by his father to fight in what is now known as the Hundred Years War.

There, in 1356, with an army of seven thousand soldiers, he defeated Poitiers to the French troops.

After this victory, the Black Prince established a royal court in Bordeaux, until in 1366 he came to Spain after the request for help from King Peter I of Castile to fight against his brother, Enrique de Trastamara.

He finally returned to England to die in 1347 with his father Edward III still alive, so he did not reign.

Visiting hours of Canterbury Cathedral

The times to visit Canterbury Cathedral, in the south of England, are currently during the pandemic period, Monday to Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 16 p.m., with last access at 15 p.m.

On Sundays the hours are from 12,30:16 to XNUMX p.m., with last access one hour before.

Canterbury Cathedral ticket price

El ticket price to visit the cathedral is £14, with free entry for children under 18 and accredited students.