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Tickets and opening times

We can’t wait to welcome you to Canterbury Cathedral. Tickets can be booked online or are available to buy on the day at our visitor centre. Please check our website prior to your visit as opening times may be subject to change.

Monday to Saturday 09.00 - 17.00 (last admission at 16.00)

Sunday 11.30* - 17.00 (last admission at 16.00)
*Between 11.30-12.30, access is available to the Cathedral grounds and Shop only. The Cathedral church opens at 12.30.

 

 

Adult

£17.00

Our standard visitor ticket is valid for 12 months, meaning you can re-visit the Cathedral as often as you want during that time at no extra cost.

Children (aged 17 and under)

Free

Children go FREE when accompanied by a paying adult. (Max 2 children per paying adult; does not apply to group bookings or school visits). Children must be accompanied at all times.

 

Canterbury Students

Free

Students studying full-time at local universities - Canterbury Christ Church University, University of Kent, University for the Creative Arts - enjoy FREE entry with their student ID.

English Heritage Members

20% discount on visitor entry

  • Not valid with other promotions or offers.
  • Discount applies to tickets bought on the door at our Visitor Centre only. Discount is not available for online booking. Standard price admission tickets cannot be refunded and exchanged for discounted tickets.
  • Valid until 31 March 2024. T&Cs apply.

Cathedral Pass

Locals can enjoy unlimited visits for the equivalent of just 10p per month!

You may be eligible for a Cathedral Pass if you:

  • work in the old city of Canterbury
  • live within 4 miles of Bell Harry tower, including within The Precincts
  • are a member of the Cathedral Congregation
  • are immediate family of a Cathedral staff member
  • are a member of any church in the diocese (on the parish electoral roll or equivalent)

Our Cathedral Pass cannot be used in conjunction with other promotions or offers.

Apply for The Cathedral Pass

Event calendar

Have a look at the range of events Canterbury Cathedral has on offer below.

 

 

What's on

There’s something for everyone – see what exciting events are currently taking place.

See what's on

Service times

Daily Eucharist   08:00
Lunchtime Eucharist   12:30 (Wednesdays and Feast Days only)
Daily Choral Evensong or Said Evening Prayer with Organ Meditation*   17:30
Sunday Choral Eucharist*  11:00
All are welcome and there is no charge to attend a service. *Live streamed online.

Services

Online worship

Every day the Cathedral’s services are broadcast on our YouTube channel. It’s perfect for when you are unable to be here in person. 

Explore 

Find us

We can't wait to welcome you to the Cathedral

Monday to Saturday 09.00 - 17.00 (last admission at 16.00)
Sunday 11.30 - 17.00 (last admission at 16.00)

Between 11.30-12.30, access is available to the Cathedral ground and Shop only. the Cathedral church opens at 12.30.

Address

Cathedral House
11 The Precincts
Canterbury
CT1 2EH
United Kingdom

Parking 

Parking in the Cathedral grounds is only available for Blue Badge holders, subject to limited availability and prior arrangement. There are several public car parks nearby. 

Find out more

Our Story

Primarily this is a place of Christian community, worship and witness. We believe that God’s saving love has been revealed to us in the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus of Nazareth (see What we believe | The Church of England).

Every stone and stained glass window is shaped to give glory to Christ whose name is given to this metropolitical cathedral church. St Augustine was sent here by Pope Gregory the Great as a Christian missionary in 597. He discovered indigenous Christians and worked with them to establish a larger Christian community. In time this became the principal seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury who now leads the Church of England and the worldwide Anglican Communion. 

Here our stories of church and state intersect. This includes the martyrdom of Archbishop Thomas Becket on 29 December 1170.  He was canonised as St Thomas of Canterbury. Canterbury was already a site of pilgrimage, but St Thomas’ shrine elevated it to one of the most important in medieval Christendom. Subsequent centuries offer layer after layer, making a ‘thick story’ to discover. We sense this in the majesty of our medieval building, the quiet mystery of our crypt, and as our imagination is fired walking around our gardens, ruins and cloisters.

Today, our community is drawn from local people and Christians from across the Diocese of Canterbury and the Anglican Communion, from visitors and tourists, from refugees and those cut off from society through exclusion as well as thousands who join us online for worship. Here we are drawn together in a pilgrimage of faith. Like medieval pilgrims to Canterbury, we find it to be a place of miracle and transformation where we encounter the presence of Jesus Christ.

Dean David Monteith's signature

The Very Reverend Dr David Monteith
Dean of Canterbury

England's First Cathedral

Founded by St Augustine in 597 AD, Canterbury Cathedral is a unique place of worship, a major pilgrimage destination, a masterpiece of art and architecture, and one of the UK's most-visited historic sites. Often referred to as ‘England in stone', the Cathedral has been at the centre of momentous events and upheavals. It is the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion, seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury, UNESCO World Heritage Site, and resting place of royalty and saints.

Discover 1400 years of history

Often described as ‘England in stone’, Canterbury Cathedral’s rich history is intrinsically linked to the nation’s story.

St Augustine arrived in Kent and soon established the first Cathedral

Cathedral rebuilt by Archbishop Lanfranc

New Quire built over the Crypt (present Western Crypt)

Thomas Becket murdered in the Cathedral

Quire rebuilt following fire. Eastern Crypt, Trinity and Corona Chapels added (all as seen today)

Becket's body placed in new Shrine in Trinity Chapel

Lanfranc's Nave demolished and rebuilt as seen today. 

Pulpitum Screen constructed

Bell Harry Tower extended and the Cathedral largely complete as seen today

Becket's Shrine destroyed by Henry VIII

Monastery dissolved by royal command

New Foundation of Dean and Chapter established

Repair and refurbishing after Puritan damage

North West tower rebuilt

Library rebuilt, repairing War damage

Altar of the Sword's Point (Martyrdom) restored

Compass Rose placed in the Nave

International Study Centre (Cathedral Lodge) opened in the Precincts

Copy Of Crypt

"In fact, it really is one of the very best places to visit and be a part of"

James

Thomas Becket's Martyrdom

Canterbury Cathedral’s role as one of the world’s most important pilgrimage centres is inextricably linked to the murder of its most famous Archbishop, Thomas Becket, on 29 December 1170. When, after a long-lasting dispute, King Henry II is said to have exclaimed “Who will rid me of this turbulent priest?”, four knights set off for Canterbury and murdered Thomas in his own cathedral. A sword stroke was so violent that it sliced the crown off his skull and shattered the blade’s tip on the pavement.

Healing miracles were soon attributed to Thomas and he was made a saint by the Pope in 1173, just three years after his death.

Book your tickets

Tickets start from £17.00 or free if you are a local resident and have a Cathedral Pass

Our historical highlights

Magna Carta

Thirteenth century Archbishop of Canterbury Stephen Langton played an important role in the negotiations preceding Magna Carta – the charter of liberties sealed by King John in 1215. Only four copies of the 1215 Magna Carta survive to this day, including one held at the British Library which has been identified as the copy originally kept at Canterbury Cathedral.

The Black Prince

The eldest son of King Edward III, Edward of Woodstock – The Black Prince - was one of the most celebrated commanders during the Hundred Years’ War. The Black Prince died before he could become king, and Edward III and the whole court attended his funeral along with Edward of Woodstock’s son, the future King Richard II.

William Shakespeare

A rare copy of Shakespeare’s Second Folio, printed in 1632 at the cost of £1, is held by Canterbury Cathedral Library. Only 250 copies of the book are thought to still remain, with the one selling at a San Francisco auction in 2016 for $177,500.

The Battle of Jutland

HMS Canterbury was a 446 feet long C-class light cruiser, carrying a crew of 323. After playing a pivotal role in The Battle of Jutland - the greatest naval engagement of the First World War - she was sold for breaking up, but her spirit lives on through the ship’s bell that can still be seen at Canterbury Cathedral.

World War II

On 1 June 1942, Canterbury was heavily bombed by the Luftwaffe, with the Cathedral a key target. Despite being hit by incendiary bombs, the Cathedral survived thanks to the bravery of the ‘fire watchers’, who rushed to the roof and put out the incendiaries before they could cause fire.

Royal weddings

In 1236, King Henry III married Eleanor of Provence in Canterbury, who was crowned in Westminster Abbey shortly after. Edward I also married his second wife, Margaret of France, in the Cathedral in 1299. Their wedding is depicted in the Chapter House stained glass.

Copy Of Cathedraloutsidenite

"The cathedral is a meeting-place between cultures, a place for people to come to share the sense of inspiration, creativity and a tortuous history"

George

People's stories

"It’s the history. Of the millions who have visited and worked there, still thousands have left a trace to be seen if you look. Not the obvious tombs and memorials, but the markings of builders, staff and even the common people are visible everywhere. The alterations to architecture speak of the development of the church and its history, the masons marks show where those now forgotten people laboured, and the markings made by visitors - scratched ‘medieval graffiti’ give some insight to those that have walked this way before, and left an anonymous notation in time."

"In amongst the grandeur of the Cathedral one simple object draws me, unerringly, to it every time I enter. The tomb of the French Bishop and Cardinal, seemingly abandoned, who was never able to return home, even in death. I always say good morning to him and thank him for not responding. This summer I am going to visit the town of Beauvais where he was their Bishop. How could I not?"

"These show some of the miracles that were said to have taken place after the murder of Thomas Becket. Many of the pilgrims visiting his tomb would not have been able to read and write, and stained glass windows were meant to depict the glory of God, as well as educate and entertain pilgrims."

"Children should look out for our fantastical creatures. There is a large lion's head at the end of an archbishop's tomb to discover. And the amazing split-tailed mermaid roof boss in the South Cloister pane. There’s even an uninhibited imp, each hand holding the muzzle of a horse – perhaps representing the Horses of the Apocalypse." 

"I love the history of the building, and the calming feeling of peace I get when I visit.  I love all the quirky carvings, specifically the little cat, the rabbit and the dragons on various tombs. I also think the ironwork is absolutely fabulous - the dragon door handle to the crypt, and the hinges of the door on the north side of the choir."

Fascinating facts

8,000

The archives of the Cathedral contains around 8,000 charters, including 30 that date from before the Norman Conquest!

50,000

The Cathedral Library contains about 50,000 books, and holds 40 incunables (books or fragments of books printed before 1501).

Our Archives and Collections contain over 200,000 documents - the oldest of which dates from the late 8th century – and about 3,000 objects.

1988

The year that Canterbury Cathedral, St Augustine’s Abbey, and St Martin’s Church were made a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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