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| the iconic heart of the city |
By
Carole Barclay
Canterbury, the historic capital of Kent,
has attracted visitors for over 1,000 years. In the past it was the focus for
the cult of St Thomas, the archbishop cut down in his own cathedral in 1170 for
crossing the king once too often. Tourists now follow the footsteps of pilgrims
in the majestic cathedral that is the hub of the Church of England and wander
around the ancient streets that are still surrounded by a massive city wall
that goes back to Roman days.
Many years ago the
Anglican church was dubbed the Conservative party at prayer, so it’s not
surprising to find the city’s hallowed streets used to project ‘traditional
values’ and the myth of ‘old England’ that the ruling class use to justify
their exploitation and oppression. But that was all shaken at last year’s
general election when Labour defeated the Tories, who had held the seat in its
current and earlier forms for 160 years, to elect Canterbury’s first ever
Labour and female MP.
But throughout
history the people of Canterbury have stood up for themselves, and beneath the
city streets there’s a record of a violent and sometimes revolutionary past.
When Wat Tyler led the Kentish rebels during the Peasants Revolt of 1381 his
army was welcomed by the people of Canterbury, who help them to sack the castle
and the archbishop’s palace.
Thomas Becket may
have been a martyr for his church but he was not the only Archbishop of
Canterbury to meet a violent end. Aelfheah was killed by Viking raiders in 1012
for refusing to pay a ransom. Archbishop Sudbury, the architect of the hated
Poll Tax, was beheaded by an enraged mob in London during the Peasants Revolt
and Archbishop Laud, a royalist lackey, was executed for treason by the
Parliamentary authorities in 1645 during the Civil War.
The civil war
ended with the execution of Charles Stuart in 1649 and the proclamation of the
Republic of England, or Commonwealth as it was commonly known.
The end of the
monarchy also meant the end of the Church of England, which was abolished and
outlawed by the republican government led by Oliver Cromwell. In Canterbury
Puritans ransacked the cathedral to purge it of ‘popish’ symbols. The hard-line
faction on the city council even wanted the cathedral demolished. Wiser counsel
prevailed however, and the building was put to good use to provide much needed
accommodation for the local militia during the Commonwealth era.
The restoration of
the monarchy that came soon after Cromwell’s death paved the way for the
re-establishment of the Anglican church as the official Church of England and
now the cathedral welcomes nearly a million visitors per year to marvel at the
imposing edifice that is a tribute to the skill of medieval craftsmen.
Nowadays
Canterbury is a centre of learning, with a large student population centred
around the city’s three universities and other higher education institutions.
The performing arts are well-served by the theatre named after Christopher
Marlowe, the city’s favourite son, and the Gulbenkian arts complex on the
campus of the University of Kent.
But it’s the
medieval sites that most tourists come to see. The cathedral is a must, despite
the high admission charge, and a walk around the ramparts encompasses a massive
Roman burial mound and the ruins of Canterbury castle. The shattered remnants
of St Augustine’s priory, dissolved in 1538 when Henry VIII broke with the
Catholic Church, and the medieval buildings and churches that can be found
throughout the old city are well worth visiting, along with the Roman and other
local museums that trace the city’s history down the ages.
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