"It
was undoubtedly the presence of the illustrious and
sainted dead which gave such renown to the abbey, and in
particular it was the shrine of St. Augustine which attracted crowds of pilgrims to the church
from the earliest times of English Christianity until the
martyrdom of St. Thomas in the neighbouring church
diverted the stream of devotion to the cathedral. Indeed
the list of the dead who slept the sleep of the just at St.
Augustine's is most remarkable and makes us all the more
regret that in the sixteenth century no greater respect
was paid to the tombs and remains of kings and queens
than to the relics of the saints."
Extract from "The Greater Abbeys of England" (Open Library)
St Augustine's Abbey is a English Heritage property with free entry for English Heritage members.
Address:
St Augustine's Abbey, Monastery Street, Canterbury, Kent CT1 1PF Website:www.english-heritage.org.uk
