Canterbury Cathedral

I spent a day alone wondering around Canterbury. I thought that it was absolutely ridiculous to charge £10.50 to get inside the cathedral but decided that having so much history, I couldn’t avoid it. Not only I spent that money, I also spent £4 on the audio guide (definitely recommend it!). Everyone inside the cathedral is super friendly and helpful. I was there alone wandering for almost 3 hours (!!!) and took close to 250 pictures. I’m anything but religious and had such a great time. Really recommend to everyone who visits Canterbury!

Visited April 2015: «A must see on your UK Trip»
We arrived at Canterbury Cathedral later than planned, ate a lite lunch in the car, but the wait was worth it. There were so many windows with stain glass that I went crazy snapping photos. The atmosphere was different, almost better, then at Westminster Abbey. It was almost serene, and calmer then the Abbey. The people didn’t seem to be in a rush, there was no fighting to get into any chapels and they were more conscientious of others. I did not feel comfortable going down into the crypt, but my friend did. She said it was close quarters, and the individuals were placed in tombs or just had headstones. Another thing I liked about this Cathedral was that you were able to take video and photos unlike at Westminster Abbey.

One of the greatest of all cathedrals in England (other candidates include Gloucester Cathedral, the York Minster, Ely Cathedral and, of course, St. Paul’s in London). In its present shape it is a product of almost 800 years of building, demolishing and re-​building, starting in 1070 A.D. Remarkably, it doesn’t feel like a hodgepodge at all. ;)
Not only is the architecture magnificent, but the details (sculptures, gravestones, plates, etc) inside are a joy to behold, too. The cathedral is full of intriguing, even spectacular detail. You can enter through any of the four gates to the large, awesome cathedral grounds, though most likely you will be entering through the city centre gate. This attraction is not free. It’s UKP 10.50 for a single adult ticket — and it’s totally worth it. The cathedral is open daily from 9.00 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. (5 p.m. in the winter).
Arguably, it’s the most famous cathedral outside of London, due to its significant (and controversial) history as the place where Bishop Thomas Becket was killed by the king’s henchmen. It’s so important a historic incident that there’s a famous verse play about it, by T.S. Eliot, and an opera based on said play, Murder in the Cathedral, by the Italian composer Ildebrando Pizzetti. Thomas Becket’s shrine is also in the cathedral.
Expect to spend at least 1.5−2.0 hours at this place. You can walk around the cloister and the gardens when you’re finished with the building proper. It’s just a magnificent construction, unforgettable even if you’re not a religious person (me neither).
Guided tours are available and recommended. There’s just so much to see that might otherwise escape your attention.
See my photos to get an impression of Canterbury Cathedral.

For religious people and history lovers this will be a great visit. It’s a mix of a church and cemetery since there is lot of important persons buried inside.

Pro Tip: Go on the guided tour. It’s 5pounds per person and the best 5pounds you will spend in Canterbury. The guide is super knowledgeable and the tour brings the cathedral to life. Excellent!!! Lasts about 1.5hrs.

Ah gosh! You know when wishes you don’t even know you have get fulfilled? That’s what it was like for me to visit the Canterbury cathedral. If someone would have told me in my sophomore year of undergrad when I took a seminar on Chaucer that I would actually one day go and see the Canterbury cathedral for myself, I wouldn’t have believed them. But here I am and while we couldn’t go in as the cathedral was closed for a private event, I walked up the high street, following the the spires, recalling the first sentence of the Canterbury tales (When April, with his sweet showers, Has pierced the drought of March to the root, And bathed every vein in such a liquid, From the power of which the flower is conceived) from my studies and it was just an amazing moment.
Since the cathedral was closed to the general public, I stopped at the gift shop and saw thru postcards and the other merchandise the replicas of the beautiful stained glass windows inside the cathedral. Fell in love with the beautiful image of Archangel Uriel so much, purchased both a postcard as well as a stained glass window decal.
This ended up being a very brief visit, so hope to plan better next time and actually go inside into the cathedral!

Beautiful building /​fascinating history, what else do you want? It’s a bit pricey to get in, but I think in the end it was well worth the visit.

An amazing cathedral. It can be busy so I recommend a late afternoon visit. They must be taking some cues from amusement parks where the exit is through a gift shop. It is an easy day trip from London and definitely worth it.

I’ll admit, the only reason I wanted to come was because it was a World Heritage site — I’m very glad my cathedral-​loving best friend dragged me here though, because it’s a gorgeous piece of architecture and history.
It was a really sunny (!!) day too, and the light played off the exterior of the building in a breathtaking way. It’s slightly expensive to go in, as a previous reviewer stated, but worth it I think to see the tombs of Henry IV and the Black Prince, St Thomas and all of the gorgeous interior. We were also treated to a Christmas choir from what I think were a local children’s group, and the architecture really made their voices resonate throughout the entire space — in a serene, solemn sort of way. Beautiful!
We got lost trying to walk to the cathedral from the train station too, so signage could probably be better — though I guess since the cathedral is so imposingly big compared to everything else, we’d have eventually gotten there anyway. The town itself is really cute, but beware the weekends because there will be no place to eat or sit after coming out of the cathedral — it’s filled to the brim with tourists!

You can see this wherever you are in Canterbury. It’s truly a symbol of this beautiful city and well worth a visit.
I’ve actually graduated here twice (bit of a boffin…) and both times it made the occasion even more special. There’s just something very Harry Potter-​ish about sweeping down the centre dressed in black robes that makes the child in me squeal with excitement and the adult in me break out into a big grin.
As a historical monument, it has a lot going for it. Stained glass windows, tombs and a rich history that’ll keep you interested for an hour or two for sure. It’s just a couple of hours away from London by train and well worth the fare and time, believe me. Just amazing.

Eine wunder-​wunderschöné Cathedrale hier in Canterbury. Ich war schon oft hier und habe sie fast jedes Mal auch besucht. Der Bischof von Canterbury (der anglikanischen Kirche) hat hier seinen Sitz. Auf jeden Fall ist ein Besuch hier sehr zu empfehlen.

I went there 3 years ago and I can’t wait to come back because this Cathedral is Awesome, it’s really interesting and amazing.
Great place to visit !

It’s a beautiful cathedral, with lots of history, but not my favorite. It doesn’t have the best stained glass and it’s not the prettiest in my opinion. The thing that annoyed me most was how much the charge to tour it. £9.50 entrance, plus £4 for an audio guide and another £5 to tour the gardens is just too steep, especially when places like Gloucester Cathedral don’t even charge to get in. Also, if the place is listed as a World Heritage site, you’d think there would be some sort of discount for English Heritage members, especially since St. Augustine’s Abbey next door is a heritage site.
If you’re really interested in seeing the spiritual home of the Church of England, then you have to go. If you just want to see a big old church, I’d skip it and go to someplace like Gloucester, or York.

As someone who is not always into walking around historic churches, this one was pretty good. There were tons of staff members around helping us, the place was HUGE, and they let you know where your 9 pound entry fee was going.
There was lots of things too read, but not too much. I might consider taking a tour next time.
The gardens and outside areas are beautiful and well managed. I want to move onto the grounds.

If anyone has ever read The Canterbury Tales, you need to visit here. Two years of British Lit peaked my interest in this historic place so when a friend suggested I help chaperone a study abroad trip here, I jumped at the chance.
If you like history, do a little reading up on the history of the place before go and you’ll have a better understanding of the importance of the church in the history of Christiandom in England.
You can see the location where Thomas Becket was murdered and imagine the crowds of Christians making their pilgrimage to a Christian icon. There’s also plenty to do in the surrounding area so you can make a day trip out of visiting the Cathedral and then enjoying the various shops and cafés in the area.
Admission also reasonably priced as compared to some of the other religious centers in England. £8 for adults and £7 for groups and concessions, so if you have a student ID, bring it. =)

Canterbury is the seat of the Church of England so a visit to the Cathedral is an absolute MUST!
The four reviews before me are descriptive so I wouldn’t want to reiterate what has already been said. What I will write is that I agree with them and that you must see it if you are there.
As always with all tourist attractions, get there early so that to avoid the crowds and get a less rushed tour with one of the guides.

Après une visite de la cathédrale, une autre s’impose à la boutique .Pour les amateurs de l’époque médiévale on peut ramener chez soi un petit morceau de cette époque en dehors des recueils de photos, de jolies copies .
n vente également des CD de la chorale de la cathédrale, dont un spécial Noël que j’ai ramené à la maison, et qui va à tue-​tête le Dimanche matin, et qui agace tout le monde sauf moi .
Voilà, donc belle boutique, même si tout autour de la cathédrale, on trouve à peu prés les même objet.

I realize that Unilocal UK is just getting started, but this is a pretty botched listing for one of the most significant sites in Britain. I submitted a request to change the categories, and I added a real photo.
Anyway, this was the first cathedral I ever visited, and still remains perhaps my favorite. I prefer it architecturally to Westminster Abbey, but in terms of history it can’t compete.
Both King Henry IV and Edward the Black Prince of Wales are buried in the cathedral. Henry is the only monarch to be buried here; allegedly he chose the cathedral in an attempt to appear pious amid feelings of guilt over his usurpation of the throne. I really like what they have done with the shrine to Thomas Becket – a simple, modern design with four pieces of metal (iron?) in the shape of a ‘T’ with a sword to each side.
Funny story about our visit: My friend Deez wanted to climb the pulpit and have us take a photo of him. He got about halfway up, but the top was roped off and there were a lot of people around, so he gave it up. A it later, we were near the entrance doors towards the end of our visit when a mighty gust of wind sprang up and blew the doors open FROM THE INSIDE. It was really startling. None of us are religious, but we took it as a sign that our irreverence was no longer welcome, so we skipped out before lightning decided to strike.

Just beautiful, steeped in so much history that the guides and assistants were all eager and willing to help explain, and show. So much to see and to do. Amazing if you want to step back in time !!