Lives of the Monks Guided Tour

Canterbury Cathedral was once home to Christ Church Priory where a fraternity of Benedictine monks ran a monastery and looked after the Cathedral. Explore the new exhibition in the Viewing Gallery to uncover a fascinating insight into a life of prayer, work and self-sufficiency. Your guided tour will then introduce you to the monastic ruins around the Precincts, where traces of how the monks lived can still be seen. You will also explore the Herbarium, Water Tower, Great Cloister and Chapter House where the monks worked and organised their daily lives. In 1538, King Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries, which changed the shape of the Precincts forever, and you will learn more about what happened next and how this affected the shape of the Cathedral site.

Timings & Tours

Friday 12 September:

1430

Friday 19 September:

1230

Location & directions

Canterbury Cathedral, The Precincts, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 2EH

Directions:

Please make your way to the Visitor Centre where you will be directed to the meeting place for this tour.

Contact on day:

Melodie Robson

Telephone number:

+441227862749

Booking information

Pre-booking requirement:

Pre-booking required

Booking conditions:

Please book tickets online. Tickets limited to 2 per person.

Booking contact name:

Visits Team

Booking telephone number:

+441227762862

Booking email:

[email protected]

Booking website:

https://buy2.myonlinebooking.co.uk/canterburycathedral/sessions.aspx?tid=18

Booking opens:

02 Jun 2025 12:00 AM

Booking closes:

12 Sep 2025 12:00 AM

Accessibility details

Disabled parking is available to book, subject to availability. Please contact the visits team [email protected] The Viewing Gallery is on the first floor of the Visitor Centre but there is a lift. The rest of the tour takes place outside or in the Cloisters, which is wheelchair accessible but parts of the grounds are a little uneven.

Additional information

Max no of people per tour:

15

Est. tour duration:

1 hour(s) 15 minute(s)

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