Canterbury Cathedral

Mother church of the worldwide Anglican Communion and a historic international pilgrimage destination associated with St Thomas Becket. The site is in Canterbury, Kent, England. The cathedral traces its foundation to St Augustine’s mission in 597.

Thomas Becket was murdered in the cathedral in 1170, and his shrine made Canterbury a major pilgrimage destination. The murder of Archbishop Thomas Becket inside the cathedral on 29 December 1170 transformed Canterbury into one of medieval Europe’s best-known pilgrimage destinations. Becket was canonised in 1173, and accounts of cures and wonders at his shrine belong to the medieval cult recorded around the saint.

The cathedral is also one of the three components of Canterbury’s UNESCO World Heritage Site, together with St Augustine’s Abbey and St Martin’s Church. Medieval pilgrims came to Becket’s shrine seeking his intercession; reported cures and miracles were recorded in the medieval cult of the saint.

Its recognised heritage context is: Part of the Canterbury UNESCO World Heritage Site. Architecturally, the site is associated with Gothic. It remains an active place of worship, so services and religious observance are part of the visitor experience rather than background history. Access can change for worship, ceremonies or conservation, and the institution’s current guidance should be checked before a visit.