A Pilgrimage to Canterbury

The Canturbury west gate

Canterbury Cathedral (plus scaffolding!)

Henry II (1133-1189) the first Plantagenet king (and my ancestor), was a bit of a beast. If you have ever seen the film ’A Lion in Winter’ you know what I mean. He quarreled with his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and his four sons including Richard ‘the Lionheart’ and John Lackland (my family line), and his friend, advisor and later the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket. When he was having a particularly difficult time with Becket he apparently gave some indication (the reports of what he said vary) that he wished to be rid of this troublesome priest. Four of his knights heard this and took it upon themselves to ride down to Canterbury and hack Becket to death while he was kneeling, praying before an altar. This may or may not have been Henry’s desire, but it was done, and that was that. Within days miracles were reported to have happened at the altar or his grave, and he was canonized. Pilgrims flocked to Canterbury to worship for centuries. Chaucer’s famous ’Canterbury Tales’ is about a group of pilgrims doing just that.

A manuscript of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales

And Hot Cross Buns, now traditionally served on Good Friday, were made to serve the pilgrims on their journey. Once there the pilgrims could purchase a pewter trinket to say that they had been there (the first tourist trap?). The early church was notorious for collecting money for just about anything. I, too, got a pewter trinket, cast from one of the original molds.

During the Dissolution of the Monasteries Henry VIII’s blaggards destroyed St Thomas’ tomb, along with just about everything to do with the Catholic faith that was not included in the Protestant faith. However, the site of the murder is known and now has a very contemporary setting.

The site of Thomas Becket’s martyrdom

In the shadow of the kneeling rail

During World War II many incendiary bombs were dropped on the cathedral roof. But thanks to the fire spotters on the roof and their quick actions these bombs were thrown off and immediately extinguished by firefighters on the Cathedral grounds. Knowing this might happen all of the original medieval glass had been removed and stored in the Crypt. Consequently, the Cathedral is filled with brightly coloured medieval stained glass intermingled with some Victorian glass. I hope this photo is medieval!

Medieval stained glass depicting Biblical stories

Amongst the multitude of tombs in the Cathedral are the tombs of King Henry IV and his wife, Joan of Navarre, and Edward, the Black Prince. The son of King Edward III, Edward became the first Prince of Wales, a title now given to the first son of a reigning monarch. Supposedly he wore black armour, but that was first noted in writing in the sixteenth century. Since Prince Edward lived in the fourteenth century who knows what colour his armour really was! He did wear ostrich feathers which became part of his heraldry, and that of all of the future Princes of Wales. Thanks to his heroism in the Hundred Years War his wish to be buried in the Cathedral crypt was denied. He was deemed too important, so he has a very fancy tomb and effigy close to the high altar.

The effigy of Edward, The Black Prince

His father, Edward III was succeeded by Prince Edward’s son Richard as Edward died before his father. His device is quartered, the lions of England and the fleur-de-lis of France, and include the three tab label of a Prince of Wales:

My visit to Canterbury may have been a pilgrimage, but it was one to the wonderful medieval city rather than to seek a miracle from St Thomas.