Canterbury Cathedral

I visited Canterbury Cathedral the first time I went to Canterbury but that was a while ago so I thought it was time for a revisit.

We had hoped to get a guided tour but Bruce didn't find that possibility on the website, so we just booked entry and the audio guide. What a shame to see, when we got there, that there were two guided tours in progress. I saw a little sign listing the “mini tours” available, so we queued up at the meeting point.  The gentleman who led the tour had an incredibly quiet voice, so I was worried that I wouldn't be able to hear him, especially with the organist practicing in the background. While I did miss a few things, he proved to be very entertaining and had an encyclopedic knowledge of his subject matter.  He took us through the nave, down corridor on the north side of the quire, to the tomb of Henry Chichelle, Archbishop of Canterbury from 1414 till his death in 1443. Our guide (I’m not sure, but I think his name was Arthur) told us that Chichelle had his tomb built in the cathedral in 1431 meaning he had to look at it for twelve years while presiding over services at the cathedral.  “Why would he do that?”  asked Arthur. Well, the reason was because in the 15h century, plague was everywhere, striking down peasant and nobility as well. He wanted to be sure that if he fell victim to the plague, his tomb would be there since there was no guarantee that enough craftsmen would be left alive to build it afterwards.  His tomb is a memento mori tomb, which reminded viewers of the inevitability of death and human mortality. On the top of the tomb he is pictured as he was in life, in his regal Cardinal's attire. 

Below that, he is pictured naked to the world, as any man would be in death.

Walking further east, he took us to the tomb of Henry IV.

The only king buried in Canterbury Cathedral, he chose that site because of his close association with St. Thomas a Becket. He was anointed at his coronation service with a vial of holy oil allegedly received by Thomas Becket from the Virgin Mary. Buried next to him is his Queen, Joan of Navarre who outlived Henry by 24 years.

Arthur then went on to tell us that the Treaty of Canterbury, the agreement to build what would be the Channel Tunnel, was signed in the Chapter House of Canterbury Cathedral.  I think he revealed his Tory leanings because he took great delight in telling us how, after signing the agreement, Margaret Thatcher asked a cabinet member to see to it that the English terminus would not be St. Pancras station, but would be Waterloo, as a reminder to the French that they had been defeated by the English there. That, of course, did not come to pass.

When this little tour was over, we turned to the audio guide which, I have to say, was quite a disappointment. It was interesting enough, but the numbers listed on the audio guide did not correspond to the numbers on the visitor map, so we were left wandering around trying to find things being talked about. It is a lovely place, whether or not you can find the things being described.

The nave

The baptismal font

The shrine of Thomas a Becket used to stand here in the Trinity Chapel, but it was destroyed in 1538 on the order of King Henry VIII. In its place, a candle burns.

The Chapel of Saints and Martyrs of Our Own Time

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Throughout the cathedral are beautiful stained glass windows.

There is a display of Paschal Candles, traditionally burned at every major service from Easter through Pentacost.  They are made of pure beeswax representing Christ's purity. The wick represents his humanity and the flame his divine nature.

Leaving the Cathedral proper, you come to the cloisters

with lots of wonderful roof bosses in the intricately arched ceiling.

Off the cloister is the Chapter House I mentioned earlier. 

It is the largest chapter house in all of England and was the daily meeting place of the Benedictine Monks of the Cathedral priory right up until the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII. It is really striking, with its ornate wagon-vault roof of Irish oak and stained glass windows.

The crypt, located under the Quire and Trinity Chapel is a sacred place of burial with many chapels, one of which was being used for a service when we visited.  Because it is a sacred place, no photography is allowed. Too bad, because it's an incredible place. Leaving the crypt, you can go up the stairs and out into the Water Tower Garden and the Herb Gardens. 

The upper floor of the water tower, which now has windows, was originally the place where the monks stored fresh water. 

The herb gardens in days of yore were places where the monks grew the herbs they used to make medicines. (If you're a fan of old public television, you may remember Brother Cadfael, starring Derek Jacobi as a monk who made herbal remedies.)

The walls that remain in these gardens predate the Cathedral, some by centuries.  The old stone and flint walls visible on the grounds of the Cathedral are the medieval and Norman remains of the great Christ Church Priory and the original Old Palace, the Archbishop's palace.

Back in the Cathedral, one of the many small chapels inside is the chapel of the Royal East Kent Regiment, one of the oldest regiments in the British army, founded in 1572.

It houses historical old colors and flags of the regiment dating back to 1848. Traditionally, when a flag is hung in a chapel, it will remain there until the day when the threads give way and it falls to the floor. At that time, the flag is removed from the chapel and buried in consecrated ground.

Arguably, the thing for which Canterbury Cathedral is best known is for being the place where Thomas a Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, was murdered. King Henry II had frequent conflicts with the strong-willed Becket and is said to have exclaimed in frustration, “Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?” Four knights took it literally and murdered Becket in his own cathedral. He was canonized and Canterbury Cathedral became a place of pilgrimage. The north stairs at the end of the nave lead to a modern shrine to St. Thomas a Becket.

The two swords and their two very visible shadows, represent the swords used to kill Becket.

On a wall on the side of the nave is a fifteenth century wall painting of St. Eustace.

I found it really remarkable that it has survived and still looks incredibly clear.

This Cathedral is overflowing with interesting stories, but the audio guide leaves out most of them.  I don't know if I'll ever visit here again, but if I do, I will insist upon taking a tour with an actual flesh-and-blood guide.

There's one last thing I want to point out which is outside the Cathedral. It's The Canterbury War Horse.

Over eight million horses died during World War I, many of which traveled through Kent on their way to the continent. This memorial represents conflict and the loss of human and animal life without being overly literal, and is presented with dignity, its head bowed with respect and solemnity in this place of quiet contemplation, reflection, and rememberance. It was built of surplus wood and rope and was a collaboration between the Canterbury School of Visual Arts and Canterbury Cathedral.

A lovely addition to the grounds.