Barnett Vicarious Adventures: August 14, 2013

Today we took our long awaited tour to Canterbury, England. A short 45 minute train ride from Victoria Station in London brings you to the ancient city which was a stopping point on the road between Dover and London and the location of the head of the Church of England.

The walls of Canterbury.

A maze built at one of the city parks.

Canterbury Cathedral from a distance.

The remains of a Roman burial mound in Canterbury.

A walk along the city walls.

Above, the remains of the church where Christopher Marlowe was baptized.

The ancient entry into the Canterbury Cathedral.

The construction details of this ancient cathedral are amazing. All of the statues built into the walls and the amazingly detailed brick and cement work.

Interior or Canterbury Cathedral.

This is the famous Canterbury Cross.

The lectern for the priest in Canterbury Cathedral. Note the intricate woodwork.

Stained glass windows where normally there is a Rose Window in most cathedrals.

Above, a plaque marking the place where John Paul II prayed at the site where Thomas Becket was murdered in December, 1170. Adjacent is the memorial at the site where Thomas Becket was killed by four of Henry II’s knights. For those of you not up on your English history or history of the Christian church, Thomas Becket was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury by Henry II. At that time, the archbishop of Canterbury was the head of the church in England (note, this was before the church’s separation from Catholicism). Henry was actually close friends with Becket as you would expect since Becket got the appointment. But, once Becket became archbishop he immediately entered into the conflict between Henry trying to establish that the king was over the church and Thomas maintaining that the church was the highest authority in life. The conflict grew more heated until one day after a refusal by Becket to acknowledge the superiority of the king, Henry II uttered the fateful words, “Who will rid me of this turbulent priest?” Four knights took that as an order from the king to kill Becket. They rode to Canterbury and found Becket in the cathedral. Becket tried to escape into the crypt, but he was caught at this site and killed by the knights. Later the knights were all tried for murder and executed and Henry II walked on his knees to Canterbury as a penance. Canterbury has been a pilgrimage church ever since and was made even more famous by “Canterbury Tales” written by Geoffrey Chaucer telling of the stories of pilgrims on their was to visit the cathedral. Thomas Becket became St Thomas when he was made a saint by the catholic church for his defense of Christianity.

Crypt of Thomas Becket followed by various pictures of the Cathedral.

Cathedral cloisters.

First library in Canterbury.

Canterbury Pilgrims Hospital where pilgrims are still welcomed.

The Weavers House in Canterbury where the wool weavers carried on their trade.

Note the bulging walls of this old house in Canterbury.

Doors were a little short in those days even for Elaine.

Looks like the carpenter or mason made a mistake on this window! The window appears to be made at an angle.

Below, scenes from out boat ride along a canal in Canterbury.

Mother duck with the last 2 of her 14 ducklings.

Above and below, the Black friar's Monastery in Canterbury. They had their chapel on one side of the river and their brewery on the other.

Below, a replica of the “Dunking Chair.” If a wife annoyed a husband, the husband could pay to have her dunked into the canal for a few seconds. Now the canal was basically an open sewer and thus it was thought that she would be taught to keep her mouth shut. Later, the chair was used to test ladies accused of witchcraft. You were dunked into the canal for even a longer time. If you survived the dunking, it was assumed that you survived through your skills of witchcraft in which case you were taken and burned at the stake. If you did not survive the dunking, it was assumed that you were not a witch. The church issued an apology and paid for your funeral and you were allowed a grave site on the church grounds since there was now proof that you were not a witch. Not a good choice.

Above, not sure whether you can see the lovely spiked Mohawk haircut of the gentleman to the left of Elaine’s umbrella! He was later joined by a lady with green spiked hair cut in the Mohawk fashion, covered with tattoos and with various body piercings. To each his own I suppose