DAYSOUT
© inja-pavlic
© Stephen Sangster
CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL LULLINGSTONE CASTLE
ANGLICAN TALES AT CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL
One of the most significant buildings in English history, Canterbury Cathedral( canterbury-cathedral. org) forms part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is regarded as England’ s oldest cathedral. Founded by St Augustine, the cathedral was established in 597 AD, laying the foundations for a growing Christian community in England.
Canterbury Cathedral became the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury and is perhaps most closely associated with Thomas Becket. Appointed archbishop in 1162, Becket’ s loyalties to the Church over the Crown led to his untimely and brutal death by four knights inside the cathedral on 19 December 1170.
Fortunately, Becket’ s death was not in vain; with his shrine elevating the cathedral’ s status, it transformed into one of the most important pilgrimage sites in medieval Christendom. Its significance was further immortalised in Geoffrey Chaucer’ s The Canterbury Tales, where it serves as the pilgrims’ intended final destination, though sadly they never reach it within the poem.
Today, Canterbury Cathedral remains at the heart of the Church of England, serving as the mother church for the Anglican Communion, and with its 1,400 years of history, its preservation continues to attract visitors from across the world.
Holding to its regular calendar of events, September will include the annual Heritage Open Days( heritageopendays. org. uk), running from Friday 11 to Sunday 20 September, where visitors can take a step back in time while discovering how the cathedral’ s history continues to resonate with the present.
GARDENS OF THE WORLD AT LULLINGSTONE CASTLE
Regarded as one of England’ s oldest family estates, Lullingstone Castle & The World Garden( lullingstonecastle. co. uk) has a history dating back to the Domesday Book of 1086, commissioned by William the Conqueror. At the time, Lullingstone was recorded only as a settlement in Kent and had not one, but three separate owners.
Moving into the 15th century, it was acquired by the Hart Dyke family, with the manor house and gatehouse seen today being built in 1497. Over the centuries, the estate has welcomed royalty, including King Henry VIII and Queen Anne, while continuing to evolve. In the 1930s, it even became home to a silk farm, producing silk for Queen Elizabeth II’ s coronation robes and wedding dress.
Now in the trusted hands of its 20th generation, the estate is run by Tom Hart Dyke, whose passion for plants led to the creation of the famous World Garden. Inspired by a trip to Southeast Asia in 2001 in search of an orchid to name after his grandmother, Mary Hart Dyke, his fascination with rare and unusual species grew into a vision to bring plants from around the world together at Lullingstone.
Today, visitors can explore the world in under 80 minutes, traversing through a sea of rare botanical plants. By welcoming visitors, Tom helps preserve Lullingstone’ s extensive heritage, bringing each plant’ s story to life and enriching one of the UK’ s most important landmarks with his passion for botanical plants.
www. insidekent. co. uk • 41