Key Information
Counties:
KentYear of Inscription:
1988Type of Heritage:
CulturalLink to Website:
www.canterbury.co.uk/see-and-do/canterbury
Canterbury Cathedral, St Augustine's Abbey, and St Martin's Church
When the young monk Augustine landed on the shores of England in the Kingdom of Kent in 597 AD, he came with the mission was to convert the Anglo-Saxon world to the Christian Church in Rome. One thousand four hundred years later, Canterbury's sites stand as a physical reminder of how he successfully brought the religion to these shores; one of the most beautiful cathedrals in Europe, the remains of Augustine’s Monastery, and the oldest church in the English-speaking world.
What makes this Designation special?
Canterbury Cathedral is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England. The imposing cathedral building, set in beautiful gardens, was built around 597 AD. The cathedral has been the site of some of the most infamous and pivotal moments in British history, and houses the first tomb of murdered Archbishop Thomas Becket.
St Augustine's Abbey, was originally created as a burial place for the Anglo-Saxon kings of Kent and at its height in the Middle Ages, it was one of the most significant religious houses in Northern Europe. For a truly immersive experience, visitors can now see the abbey as it would have appeared in the early 1500s using virtual reality headset. Travel back in time and see how a small cluster of Anglo-Saxon buildings developed over the centuries into a grand Romanesque abbey.
St Martin's Church is the oldest parish church in England still in continuous use. It started as the private chapel of Christian Queen Bertha of Kent in the 6th century before Augustine arrived from Rome. In 597 AD St Augustine and his companions worshipped at the church until King Ethelbert granted him the land for the world-famous abbey and cathedral.
