Canterbury Cathedral

Canterbury Cathedral, one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England was founded in 597 and has been the primary ecclesiastical centre of England since the early 7th century.

Read on to learn more.

I recently had the opportunity to visit the cathedral during a scouting trip for our Plantagenets in England tour, believe me, it is definitely a site not to be missed if you are ever in South East England.

Every single inch of this astonishing landmark will make you go Wow! From the stunning stained glass windows and the intricate carvings on the pulpit and tombs, to the resting place of familiar names from centuries ago, you will come away with a deep sense of the presence of all those who walked before in the corridors and halls of this iconic building. The day I visited there was quite a lot of scaffolding and workmen in abundance, but in no way did it take away from the grandeur of this towering monument.

I guess in order to preserve these historical treasures for many generations to enjoy, we must accept that they need to be constantly maintained.

Probably the story that most history enthusiasts associate with Canterbury Cathedral was the murder of Thomas Becket on the 29th of December 1170.

Thomas rose from low beginnings to become a close confidant of King Henry II, eventually rising to become Royal Chancellor. When the position of Archbishop of Canterbury became vacant, Henry saw an opportunity to exercise greater authority over both church and state by appointing Thomas to the role, assuming he would continue in the role of Chancellor. Unfortunately, in 1162 Thomas resigned from this position as he believed he could not serve two different masters.

Henry was furious, and the legendary Plantagenet temper came to light. Their friendship quickly began to deteriorate, and by the end of 1164 Becket had fled to France fearing for his safety, where he remained for 6 years.

In June 1170 Henry had the Archbishop of York crown his son, Henry the Young King. This was against all tradition(the coronation of Kings was always performed by the Archbishop of Canterbury), and a deliberate insult to his old friend’s authority. When Becket appealed to the Pope, Henry agreed to reopen negotiations, and Becket was reassured it would be safe to return to England.

In a final act of reprisal, before leaving France Becket issued three letters of ex-communication to the Archbishop of York and two bishops for their part in the unauthorised coronation of the Young King. If only he had known how disastrous the resulting circumstances of that act would be upon his return to England.

Upon receiving the news of the latest of Thomas’s vengeful acts, Henry uttered those famous words; “Will no one rid me of this troublesome priest”. Although over the years the tale of Henry’s violent rage has been told over and over, and there are definitely slightly different versions of the exact wording of this statement, it does not however, change the eventual devastating outcome.

Taking Henry’s words at face value, four of his knights travelled from Normandy to Canterbury in search of Becket. The day after their arrival in England they confronted Becket and attempted to seize and arrest him, however when he resisted they brutally attacked and killed him on the altar of the cathedral. In 1174 Henry visited Thomas’s tomb and did penance for his involvement in the murder.

Becket’s death, subsequent miracles, and sainthood(1173) transformed Canterbury Cathedral into one of the most important pilgrimage destinations in Europe. Geoffrey Chaucer’s literary masterpiece “The Canterbury Tales”, tells of a group of pilgrims travelling from London down to Canterbury on just such a pilgrimage.

I was particularly excited to gaze upon the tomb of Edward the Black Prince, one of my heroes, mind you I do have a couple of them.

Edward’s tomb is certainly very impressive, very different to the tomb effigies we visited elsewhere on our trip. More than 600 years after his death, his effigy was examined by scientists, it was found to be so accurate, they believe a real armourer helped to make the effigy. By inserting an endoscope through one of the small openings, it was revealed that it was cast in sections, invisible from the outside, and held together by an intricate system of bolts and pins.

It has been replicated with such skill, it may as well be the same armour that hangs empty above his tomb, even down to the finest details like the positioning of the rivets.The study also re-dated the effigy to a decade after Edwards’s death, implying that although Richard II followed his father’s instructions, it did take some time. This effigy really demonstrates the technical sophistication of the Medieval period and as such, ranks as one of the UK’s most precious surviving sculptures.

Opposite the tomb of the Black Prince lies the tomb of Henry IV and Joan of Navarre, a fact that really took me by surprise, when you consider that it was the son of the Black Prince whom Henry took the throne from in 1399.

Trying to ponder the political intrigue of the time is a fascinating exercise… I can’t help but wonder what made Henry choose to be buried at Canterbury Cathedral when so many Plantagenet monarchs were buried at the magnificent Westminster Abbey. Was it a final act of repentance against the man who maybe he felt he had wronged, or did he just simply have a preference for that particular location. I have to admit it is definitely an amazing place to decide on as your final resting place.

If I had to say what the highlight of my trip to England was, my answer would definitely be Canterbury Cathedral. Making my way up to the Trinity Chapel gave me goosebumps, such incredible beauty and spectacular workmanship everywhere. When you come from a country like Australia with buildings that date back a mere 200 years, visiting France and the UK simply takes your breath away, it is so hard to imagine these people that we have only ever read about actually walked, lived and breathed within the rooms of these beautiful structures.

I had no idea just how much history would come alive for me, and I cannot wait to share it with my customers. Do you have a longing for that same feeling, then come along for the ride on our Plantagenets in England tour, I guarantee you will not be disappointed.

Max

Canterbury Cathedral photos © Plantagenet Discoveries