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The Great Britain Guide

Cathedrals · South East England

Canterbury Cathedral

Also known as: Ardeaglais Canterbury

♿ Wheelchair accessible

Canterbury Cathedral is the cathedral of the archbishop of Canterbury, the spiritual leader of the Church of England and symbolic leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Located in Canterbury, Ken

Canterbury Cathedral - geograph.org.uk - 3822325

Peter Trimming — CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit
1 h–2 h
Best time of year
Year-round
  • Family-friendly
  • Wheelchair accessible

About

Canterbury Cathedral is the cathedral of the archbishop of Canterbury, the spiritual leader of the Church of England and symbolic leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Located in Canterbury, Kent, it is on the site of one of the oldest Christian structures in England and forms part of a World Heritage Site. Its formal title is the Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of Christ, Canterbury. The cathedral was founded in 597 but was completely rebuilt between 1070 and 1077. The east end was greatly enlarged at the beginning of the 12th century, and largely rebuilt in the Gothic style following a fire in 1174, with significant eastward extensions to accommodate the flow of pilgrims visiting the shrine of Thomas Becket, the archbishop who was murdered in the cathedral in 1170. The Norman nave and transepts survived until the late 14th century, when they were demolished to make way for the present structures. Before the English Reformation, the cathedral was part of a Benedictine monastic community known as the Priory of Christ Church, Canterbury, as well as being the seat of the archbishop.

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From the Wikipedia article

Canterbury Cathedral is the cathedral of the archbishop of Canterbury, the spiritual leader of the Church of England and symbolic leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion. Located in Canterbury, Kent, it is on the site of one of the oldest Christian structures in England and forms part of a World Heritage Site. Its formal title is the Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of Christ, Canterbury. The cathedral was founded in 597 but was completely rebuilt between 1070 and 1077. The east end was greatly enlarged at the beginning of the 12th century, and largely rebuilt in the Gothic style following a fire in 1174, with significant eastward extensions to accommodate the flow of pilgrims visiting the shrine of Thomas Becket, the archbishop who was murdered in the cathedral in 1170. The Norman nave and transepts survived until the late 14th century, when they were demolished to make way for the present structures. Before the English Reformation, the cathedral was part of a Benedictine monastic community known as the Priory of Christ Church, Canterbury, as well as being the seat of the archbishop.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

History

The Foundation is the authorised staffing establishment of the cathedral, few of whom are clergy. The head of the cathedral is the Dean, currently David Monteith, who is assisted by a chapter of 30 canons, four of whom are residentiary, the others being honorary appointments of senior clergy in the diocese. There are also a number of lay canons who all together form the greater chapter which has the legal responsibility both for the cathedral itself and also for the formal election of an archbishop when there is a vacancy-in-see. By English law and custom, they may only elect the person who has been nominated by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister. The Foundation also includes…

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates
51.2797, 1.0831
County
Kent
District
Canterbury
Parish
Canterbury, unparished area
Postcode
CT1 2EP
Parliamentary constituency
Canterbury
Established
1834

Sources

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Frequently asked questions

Where is Canterbury Cathedral?
Canterbury Cathedral is in Kent, South-East England, United Kingdom (postcode CT1 2EP), in the parish of Canterbury, unparished area.
When was Canterbury Cathedral built?
Built or established in 1834.
How do I get to Canterbury Cathedral?
Drivers can navigate to postcode CT1 2EP. It sits within the Canterbury parliamentary constituency.