St. Dunstans Church, Canterbury

Saint Dunstan’s Church is a quietly significant site with deep historical roots and royal connections. Located just outside the city’s Westgate, this modest parish church dates back to the 11th century and is named after Saint Dunstan, a 10th-century Archbishop of Canterbury and influential reformer. While the church itself has changed over the centuries, its importance lies not just in its age or architecture, but in the pivotal moments of English history that unfolded here.

One of the most notable events tied to Saint Dunstan’s is the burial of Saint Thomas More’s head. After his execution in 1535, More’s daughter, Margaret Roper, is said to have retrieved his head and brought it here for safekeeping. The family vault of her husband lies in the Roper Chapel, attached to the church, where visitors can reflect on this quiet act of resistance during turbulent Reformation times. This connection gives the church a strong resonance for those interested in Tudor history and Catholic martyrdom.

The church also played a role in the return of Thomas Becket’s body to Canterbury after his murder in 1170. Pilgrims would have passed this very site en route to his shrine in the cathedral, placing it on the map of the famed pilgrimage route described in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. Today, the church welcomes visitors with a calm and reverent atmosphere, where centuries of English religious and political history converge in a single, often overlooked building.