From a shrine to a saint, the remains of a grand Roman villa and a chapel built by a king, explore South-East England.
No tour of England, or the United Kingdom for that matter, is complete without making your way to Canterbury. There is so much to see there, from Roman ruins under modern buildings, to St. Augustine’s Abbey, to the world-renowned Canterbury Cathedral and the Shrine to St. Thomas Beckett. However, my day didn’t end there. It continued onto Lullingstone to see its fantastic Roman villa and then onto the college town of Cambridge.
Google Maps Route of Day 3 of my adventure, Canterbury to Lullingstone to Cambridge.
Stop 1: Canterbury Cathedral
Many people have read, or at least heard of, The Canterbury Tales by the great medieval author Geoffrey Chaucer. Ever since reading portions of the Tales in Brit Lit in high school, I have wanted to see the great cathedral and the shrine that inspired the pilgrimage of thousands.
The Gatehouse leading into the cathedral grounds.
Canterbury Cathedral is one of the oldest churches in England. Founded in 597 by St. Augustine of Canterbury, the current cathedral dates from the late 11th century. The initial design was Norman and future alterations after a fire added a more Gothic flare.
Canterbury Cathedral in all its majesty.
The vastness of this cathedral is amazing.
Canterbury Cathedral was destined to become an ordinary seat of an archbishop if it was not for the murder of Thomas Beckett in the north-west transept on December 29, 1170, by the knights of King Henry II. The veneration of Becket made the cathedral a place of pilgrimage and made Canterbury one of the wealthiest cathedrals in Europe. The pilgrimages ended when Henry VIII destroyed Becket’s shrine in the cathedral.
Today’s meager shrine to Saint Thomas Becket. Located behind the high altar, the candle sits where Beckett’s tomb used to be.
Today, Canterbury Cathedral is one of the most visited cathedrals in the UK. It is definitely worth all the attention.
The altar area of the cathedral. Obviously taken with a better camera than the rest of the photos. I may have revisited. Unfortunately, most of the cathedral was under conservation the second time.
Stop 2: Lullingstone Roman Villa
I did my Master’s degree research on Roman villas in England, so seeing this villa was a real treat. (I know, I am a super nerd.) Lullingstone was not in my original plan, but unable to see St. Augustine’s Abbey in Canterbury, I had a little extra time on my hands. So worth it.
The ruins of the Lullingstone Roman villa. Not exactly Pompeii, but still awesome.
This is what Lullingstone may have looked like in its heyday.
Lullingstone was constructed in the late 1st century CE. The house was repeatedly renovated and expanded. It was used until the 5th century when it was destroyed by a fire. The villa was lavishly decorated with sculpture and mosaics. Not only did it have a dining room with a large mosaic, it also had its own bath house attached and even its own temple. The temple was later turned into a Christian Chapel, one of the earliest in Britain. The chapel contained the only known fresco depicting Christian symbols in all of Roman Britain.
The mosaic in the dining room depicting the Rape of Europa.
The Chi-Rho (the symbol in the center) fresco from Lullingstone, which contains the only known Christian painting from the Roman era in Britain. Currently at the British Museum.
Stop 3: Cambridge
A town settled since the Bronze Age, Cambridge today is a college town, where bike dodging is an art form and students make up 20% of the population. Cambridge gained its college town status all the way back to 1209, when students escaping from its archrival Oxford, founded the city’s first university. The oldest college in the city that is still around, Peterhouse, dates from 1284. The 31 colleges of today collectively make up the University of Cambridge located all through town, one of the most famous being King’s College.
The courtyard if Corpus Christi College, founded in 1352.
King’s College was established by Henry VI in 1441. However, due to the War of the Roses and lack of funds, the King’s College Chapel was not finished until the reign of the infamous Henry VIII. It is known worldwide as the finest example of late Gothic English architecture. Finished around 1536, the King’s College Chapel, with the River Cam in front, has become a symbol of the city of Cambridge.
The King’s College Chapel and the River Cam. I revisited Cambridge since my original adventure. That’s why it looks like winter instead of September in this picture.
The windows of King’s College Chapel are some of the finest in the world from their era. There are 12 large windows on each side and even larger windows at the east and west ends.
The truly splendid inside of King’s College Chapel. Truly breathtaking.
The front of the chapel behind the screen. These are some of the most amazing stained-glass windows I have ever seen. This room is very hard to take a photo of without a tripod, but trust me, it’s amazing.
The King’s College Chapel is not the only sight to see in Cambridge. Even the bridges over the River Cam are amazing, including a replica of the Bridge of Sighs in Venice (it doesn’t really look at that but don’t tell the Victorians). Being a university town, there are countless museums, my favorite (although, not visited on this trip) is the Fitzwilliam Museum, one of Britain’s oldest public museums. The collections range from works by the great artist Titian to Ancient Greek statues. There is also a unique little 12th century church that is completely round.
The 12th century Round Church. Good name.
While you’re at it, you might as well explore the colleges themselves. For a fee or if you get there at the right time, you can explore centuries old centers of education.
While my time was cut short in Cambridge, I can say it was still truly memorable, because who could forget watching a guy play a guitar in a trashcan?
I’m glad I made it back in the winter 2017 and truly got to explore the city of Cambridge.
He was actually really good and really entertaining. I have to say, that has to be uncomfortable.
*Note: Some photos where retaken on a return trip in winter 2017. I want to thank the amazing Mhairi Gowans for showing me around Cambridge and putting me up when I revisited.
or
Start at the beginning of my 30 days around Great Britain!
