Canterbury

Without a doubt Henry VIII is one of history’s more colourful characters. He’s best known for his seven wives, the first of whom was Catherine of Aragon. It was her inability to produce a male heir that caused Henry switch the focus of his affections to Anne Boleyn. However, as good Christian woman, Anne would have nothing to do with him out of wedlock. As a result, Henry VIII partitioned the pope in 1527, seeking an annulment of his first marriage.

Pope Clement VII refused his request. In response, the king embarked on a slow, but steady, process of severing the pope’s authority over the church in England. In 1533 the pope excommunicated Henry VIII for his actions. By 1536 Henry had broken with Rome, seized the church's assets in England and declared the Church of England, or Anglican Church, as the nation’s established church. The new church then established the English monarch formally as its head in 1534 via the Act of Supremacy. Its most senior bishop was recognised as the Archbishop of Canterbury.


Today the Archbishop of Canterbury is considered the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion (the global network of churches founded by the Church of England). The second most senior bishop is the Archbishop of York. The bishops of London, Durham and Winchester are ranked in the next three positions (third, fourth and fifth). Rowan Williams is the current Archbishop of Canterbury. He is the 104th in a line that goes back more than 1400 years to St Augustine of Canterbury.


Augustine founded a church in Canterbury under the orders of the pope in 597. Ruins of an abbey he built can still be seen in Canterbury today (as shown the photo above). The Archbishop of Canterbury's official residence in London is Lambeth Palace, while the cathedral for his diocese sits in the city of Canterbury. Today, the cathedral is considered the symbolic home of the Church of England, drawing more than a million visitors annually.

However, Canterbury obtained world fame several hundred years prior to the creation of the Church of England. In 1170, Thomas Becket, the (Catholic) Archbishop of Canterbury at the time, was murdered in an eastern cloister of Canterbury Cathedral. He died at the hands of four knights who wrongly believed they were carrying out a royal command issued by Henry II. For many years the King had been in conflict with the archbishop over the church’s authority.


Following Thomas Becket’s death the faithful throughout Europe began venerating him as a martyr, and in 1173 (only three years after his death) he was canonised by Pope Alexander III. The cathedral then became a popular place of pilgrimage for Christians worldwide. At it height, it was considered Europe’s third most popular pilgrimage site. Thomas Becket's tomb lay in the centre of the cathedral until 1538 when its destruction was ordered by Henry VIII. Today a simple candle marks the spot where his tomb once lay.


On Friday, Garry and I loaded up the car and drove to Canterbury to finally see this city and its famous cathedral for ourselves. It took just over two hours to reach our hotel, situated just outside the city’s restored roman walls. A brisk ten minute walk soon had us wandering the cobblestone streets of Canterbury. We were surprised to discover how much of the city’s historical character had been preserved.


Naturally, our first stop for the day was Canterbury Cathedral. A church has stood on this site for almost 1500 years, being completely rebuilt at least three times. The foundations of Augustine's original building still lie beneath the floor of the nave. This first building was replaced by a Saxon building in the 8th Century. This in turn was rebuilt by the Normans in 1070 following a major fire lit by Danish raiders. Today, the oldest parts of the present building date from the 12th Century. We spent more almost two hours wandering through the cathedral and around its grounds.


While it lacks the majesty of Westminster Abbey, or the grandeur of Salibury Cathedral, Canterbury Cathedral has some wonderful quirks. Progressive additions have given the building a rather disjointed, almost disorderly, feel. This ramshackle arrangement creates in a far greater sense of history than many other cathedrals we’ve visited. I was also captivated by the modern cross of daggers that mark the spot where Thomas Becket was murdered.


Our final hours in town were spent wandering the city’s pedestrianised streets, shopping at the annual Christmas sales. We found a stunning, 100-piece, Royal Doulton stainless steel cutlery set marked down by 60%. I bought it as a Christmas gift for Garry. No doubt a dinner party will be organized soon for its inaugural use. After a delicious Chinese dinner in town we bought tickets to see Baz Luhrman’s movie epic, Australia. It’s a joy to watch but the plot struggles to emulate the same enduring silver screen moments of classics like Gone with the Wind.