The seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the spiritual heart of English Christianity, Canterbury Cathedral marks the very start of the Via Francigena. It was from here that Archbishop Sigeric the Serious set out for Rome in 990 AD, recording the journey that defined the route. The soaring Gothic nave, the great Bell Harry Tower, and the medieval stained glass make it one of the finest cathedrals in Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Highlights
- The kilometre zero stone by the south porch where the Via Francigena begins
- First credential stamp at the information centre in the precincts
- Site of Thomas Becket's 1170 martyrdom that drew Chaucer's pilgrims
- Bell Harry Tower and the Perpendicular nave that have awed pilgrims since 990
- Peregrine falcons nesting high on the central tower
At a glance
| Period | Medieval (founded 597 AD, rebuilt 12th–15th century) |
|---|---|
| Stage | 1 — Canterbury to Shepherdswell |
Take care
- Worn, uneven paving throughout the busy precincts
- Ordinary city care needed in crowded urban surroundings
History
Augustine established his first cathedral here in 597, but the Saxon church burnt in 1067 and Archbishop Lanfranc raised a Norman replacement in the 1070s. After another fire in 1174, William of Sens rebuilt the quire in the new Gothic style, and the nave followed in the late 14th century under master mason Henry Yevele. Bell Harry Tower was completed around 1498; in 1538 Henry VIII had Becket's shrine dismantled and the monastic priory dissolved.
Myth & legend
The cathedral is famous as the site of the martyrdom of Thomas Becket, murdered by knights of King Henry II in 1170. His shrine became one of the greatest pilgrimage destinations in medieval Europe, drawing travellers from across Christendom — the pilgrims immortalised in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.
Geology
Canterbury lies in the Stour valley, cut through the Cretaceous chalk of the North Downs, a soft white limestone formed on the floor of a warm sea around 70 to 90 million years ago. The chalk offers little building stone beyond its hard flint nodules, so the cathedral's masons shipped creamy Caen limestone across the Channel from Normandy and paired it with local flint in walls across the precincts.
Wildlife & nature
Peregrine falcons nest high on the cathedral's central tower and hunt pigeons over the Precincts, while swifts scream around the rooftops from May to August. The Precincts' lawns, limes and yews hold jackdaws, blackbirds and mistle thrushes, and the chalk downland beyond the city carries lady and pyramidal orchids in early summer.
The view
The central Bell Harry Tower soars above the walled precincts, framed by the ornate Christ Church Gate, while inside the Perpendicular nave rises to vaulting that has awed pilgrims since Sigeric set out in 990.
Photography
Shoot the west towers in warm evening light from the precinct lawns; frame Bell Harry through the arch of Christ Church Gate, and use the cloister arcades as foreground for the tower.
When to visit
May, June and September bring long light and thinner crowds; July and August are busiest with tour groups; winter services are atmospheric but days are short and often damp.
Getting there
The kilometre zero stone by the south porch marks the start of the route; Canterbury East and West stations are each a short walk away, with fast trains from London and buses across Kent.
Where to stay
Canterbury offers abundant B&Bs, guesthouses and hotels, including lodgings within the precincts; budget hostel beds exist, and many pilgrims sleep here the night before their first stage.
Food & water
Carry water for the day; cafes and pubs are plentiful in the city centre, and refill points are far easier to find here than on the rural stages towards Dover.
Safety
Busy urban precincts with worn, uneven paving — ordinary city care. In an emergency dial 999 or 112; for non-urgent medical advice call NHS 111.
Accessibility
Ramps serve the main south-west door and the cloisters, and a lift gives step-free access to the Quire; Trinity Chapel at the top of the Quire is the one area not fully accessible.
Visitor tips
Collect your first credential stamp at the information centre in the precincts, find the kilometre zero stone by the south porch, and combine the cathedral with St Augustine's Abbey and St Martin's Church.
The guide, in full
The written guide to this site.
Welcome to the place where the whole journey begins. You are standing in the heart of Canterbury, before the mother church of English Christianity and the starting line of the Via Francigena. It was from here, in the year nine hundred and ninety, that Archbishop Sigeric the Serious set out for Rome to collect his pallium, the woollen stole of his office, and on the way home he noted down each of his eighty stopping places. That modest travel diary is the document that still defines the route beneath your boots. Pass through the ornate Christ Church Gate and the cathedral rises before you, a cliff of pale Caen stone. The great central tower soaring some two hundred and thirty feet above you is Bell Harry, completed in fourteen ninety-eight, and if you step inside and look straight up you will find its glorious fan vault, like the underside of an opening flower. The nave around you is Perpendicular Gothic at its most confident, a forest of slender columns; the quire beyond is far older, rebuilt in the new French manner after a fire in eleven seventy-four, one of the first flowerings of Gothic in England. But pilgrims do not come here for architecture alone. Make your way to the north-west transept, the place the guides call the Martyrdom. Here, on a December evening in eleven seventy, Archbishop Thomas Becket was slain by four knights who believed they were doing King Henry the Second's bidding. A stark modern sculpture of jagged sword points hangs above the spot. Within a few years Becket was declared a saint, and Canterbury became one of the greatest pilgrimage destinations in Europe, the journey Chaucer immortalised in his Canterbury Tales. Climb the pilgrims' steps to the Trinity Chapel and notice how eight centuries of knees and feet have worn the stone into gentle hollows. The chapel was built to hold Becket's golden shrine, and around it glow the Miracle Windows, some of the oldest stained glass in England, showing ordinary medieval people, sailors, farmers, the sick made well, whose stories were gathered at the tomb. The shrine itself vanished in fifteen thirty-eight, when King Henry the Eighth ordered it dismantled, and today a single lighted candle burns on the bare pavement where it stood, one of the most quietly moving sights in England. Down in the crypt, the oldest part of the building, sturdy Romanesque columns with carved capitals have held up the church for more than nine hundred years; take a moment there in the half-light, as countless pilgrims have before you. Then come back out into the precincts and turn your face south-east. Beyond the walls lie the ruins of St Augustine's Abbey and the little church of St Martin, and beyond them the North Downs, the white cliffs of Dover, and the sea. Rome is more than a thousand miles away, and every step of the way was first written down by a man who walked out of this very churchyard. Light a candle if you wish, ask a blessing on your boots, and go gently. The road to Rome starts at the door behind you.
Common questions
How old is Canterbury Cathedral?
Canterbury Cathedral dates from the Medieval (founded 597 AD, rebuilt 12th–15th century) period.
How do I get to Canterbury Cathedral?
The kilometre zero stone by the south porch marks the start of the route; Canterbury East and West stations are each a short walk away, with fast trains from London and buses across Kent.
Is Canterbury Cathedral accessible?
Ramps serve the main south-west door and the cloisters, and a lift gives step-free access to the Quire; Trinity Chapel at the top of the Quire is the one area not fully accessible.
When is the best time to visit Canterbury Cathedral?
May, June and September bring long light and thinner crowds; July and August are busiest with tour groups; winter services are atmospheric but days are short and often damp.
Is there food and water at Canterbury Cathedral?
Carry water for the day; cafes and pubs are plentiful in the city centre, and refill points are far easier to find here than on the rural stages towards Dover.
Where can I stay near Canterbury Cathedral?
Canterbury offers abundant B&Bs, guesthouses and hotels, including lodgings within the precincts; budget hostel beds exist, and many pilgrims sleep here the night before their first stage.
What should I know before visiting Canterbury Cathedral?
Collect your first credential stamp at the information centre in the precincts, find the kilometre zero stone by the south porch, and combine the cathedral with St Augustine's Abbey and St Martin's Church.
Is Canterbury Cathedral safe to visit?
Busy urban precincts with worn, uneven paving — ordinary city care. In an emergency dial 999 or 112; for non-urgent medical advice call NHS 111.
Nearby on the route
Plan the visit
Browse every heritage site on the culture & history index, see where it falls on the route, or get the free Via Francigena app for offline maps, GPS and audio guides.