Canterbury, United Kingdom
Canterbury Cathedral
Four knights murdered an archbishop at the altar in 1170 and made this the greatest pilgrimage site in medieval England.
Biblical significance
Thomas Becket was killed in the north-west transept on 29 December 1170 after a quarrel with Henry II; he was canonised in under three years. Pilgrims came in such numbers that the Trinity Chapel steps are worn hollow, and Chaucer built the Canterbury Tales around the journey. Henry VIII destroyed the shrine in 1538; a single lit candle marks where it stood.
Scripture
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Best time to go
Spring and autumn; Evensong any weekday for the choir.
Visitor notes
Entry fee; free for those attending services. Crypt is the largest Norman crypt in the world.
Coordinates
51.2798, 1.0830
On the map
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Getting to Canterbury Cathedral
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