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Canterbury Cathedral is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England and forms part of a World Heritage Site. It is the Cathedral of the Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury, the Primate of All England and religious leader of the Church of England.

A dark chapter in the history of the Cathedral was the assassination of Thomas A Becket in the north-east Transept on Tuesday 29 December 1170 by Knights that overheard King Henry II say "Who will rid me of this meddlesome priest?" or something to that effect when he was having troubles with Becket. The guards took it literally and murdered Becket in his own Cathedral. Becket was the second of four archbishops of Canterbury who were murdered.

Following the disastrous fire of 1174 which destroyed the Eastern end, William of Sens rebuilt the Choir with a much more modern, Gothic design, including high pointed arches, flying buttresses, and rib vaulting, emphasizing vertical lines of tall pillars and spires to create greater interior heights. Later, William the Englishman added the Trinity Chapel as a shrine for the relics of St. Thomas the Martyr. Over time other significant burials took place in this area such as Edward Plantagenet (The 'Black Prince') and King Henry IV.