Kent – The Road to Canterbury
In the 12th century and throughout the Middle Ages, thousands of pilgrims trudged through Kent with only one goal in mind: Canterbury Cathedral. In 597, the sainted Augustine successfully converted King Æthelberht of Kent to Christianity, and the cathedral was dedicated in 602. The original building was completely rebuilt several times after being destroyed by fire, and the nucleus of the present cathedral was created by the Norman Archbishop Lanfranc in 1077. Successive archbishops have added their own architectural visions to a church which outlasted the destructive rampages of the English Reformation and Hitler’s air raids of World War II.
The cathedral is of course most famous as the site of the murder, or martyrdom, of Thomas Becket on December 29, 1170, by order of King Henry II. Thomas Becket was canonised shortly after his murder, and Canterbury Cathedral became one of the most important pilgrimage destinations in medieval Europe. Kent is worth a visit when you tour the South of England – if your buget allows, tour the county with some beautiful Kent escorts to keep you company.