Our first day in Kent started with yet another outstanding breakfast – these English morning meals are just wonderful. An hour later we had picked my aunt and uncle up from their house and were on our way to Canterbury. We stopped at the village of Chilham along the way, a delightful little town with a very picturesque main square.
We started our visit of Canterbury in the cathedral, the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Primate of All England and the worldwide leader of Anglican Communion.
Our tour started in the Nave, far less ornate than many of the others we have seen but just as majestic. At the far end is the West Window, which contains one of the oldest pieces of stained glass in Britain (c.1176).
The cathedral is most famous for being the site of the murder of Archbishop Thomas Becket by Henry II’s knights on 29 December 1170. The spot where he died, known as The Martyrdom (this exact floor), soon became the most popular place of pilgrimage in the country.
At the centre of the church is the Bell Harry Tower; in the middle of the ceiling is a trapdoor that was used during construction.
Directly behind the high altar is St. Augustine’s Chair, where all Archbishops of Canterbury are enthroned. It was first used in the 13th century, which explains why it isn’t as elaborate as you might expect.
Within the cathedral walls are various medieval buildings, including the Monastic Water Tower, built in the 12th century and the principle water supply for the monks who lived on the premises.
After a tasty oriental lunch at Wagamama (that’s its name, I swear) we went to see the ruins of St. Augustine’s Abbey, founded in 598 by St. Augustine to mark the successful reintroduction of Christianity to England. The ruins themselves are far less impressive than Rievaulx, but historically it was just as interesting.
Seen here is the crypt, which was used for both services and burials; many of the earliest Kings of Kent and Archbishops of Canterbury were buried in the abbey.
These are the foundations of Wulfric’s Rotunda, a hexagonal tower built in 1050 to link together the various churches and chapels that had been constructed as the abbey grew in size.
After the dissolution the monastery was converted into a royal palace for Henry VIII and was used as a stopping point between London and the southeast ports. The sixteenth century additions can be seen in the red brick in this picture.
Once we had finished touring the abbey we went to nearby St. Martin’s, the oldest church in continuous use in the English-speaking world. And while we couldn’t go inside, it was well worth a visit, particularly because of its fascinating graveyard.
For something completely different, we ended our day at the Kent Beer Festival. Long story short, it was quite the experience! And then, to change things up once again, we stopped in at a cricket match for a few minutes before having yet another delicious meal prepared by my uncle.
GWV
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