NEW – Martyrs and Missionaries: Medieval Canterbury and Kent
Dr Tom Nickson
Wednesday 11 – Friday 13 June 2025
£495
Course description
This three-day study tour centres on Canterbury and its environs, the cradle of Church reform and Gothic architecture in medieval England.
At the St Pancras chapel and St Martin’s in Canterbury we will encounter two sites that claim to be the earliest English churches, partly built with re-used Roman bricks. At Canterbury cathedral we find one of the earliest and most innovative Gothic churches in England, still home to a plethora of magnificent tombs, stained glass windows, paintings and manuscripts, witnesses to the popular cult of St Thomas, murdered in the cathedral in 1170. Traces of that cult, and responses to the cathedral, can also be seen in the city of Canterbury and in the wealthy towns, villages and ports of the wealthy county of Kent.
On our day out of Canterbury we will visit some spectacular churches: the superbly preserved Norman church of St Nicholas at Barfreston; the brilliant glass and painting at Selling and Faversham; St Mary’s Chartham, possibly designed by the leading court architect, Michael of Canterbury; and the St Leonard’s, which dominate the once thriving port of Hythe.
How to book
To book your chosen course(s) please use the book now button below and you will be taken to our booking system where you can book and pay (Visa / Mastercard / GooglePay / ApplePay).
At checkout, you will be prompted to login (if you have previously booked gallery tickets) or to register and create a new account.
(Please note: this ticketing login is not the same as your Short Courses VLE login if you have one).
Please note that in the EU new VAT rules for online courses are coming into effect. This means that from 1 January 2025 we will be required to charge EU participants their local VAT rate. VAT-inclusive prices for EU students will be displayed at check-out.
Please note that the minimum age for participation is 18. By booking you confirm that you are over 18.
If you have any questions please email us at short.courses@courtauld.ac.uk
Lecturer's biography
Dr Tom Nickson is Reader in Medieval Art and Architecture at The Courtauld, where he has taught since 2012. He has published widely on aspects of medieval art and architecture, including an article on the cult of St Thomas at Canterbury and the manipulation of light in the cathedral. He has led Courtauld summer schools to medieval sites across England but always finds himself referring back to Canterbury; this visit is a chance for those attending to fill a central part of the puzzle of medieval art and architecture in England.