Becket`s Blood!

	The Tales

Shipman`s Tale

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	Exhibition

The home of English pilgrimage       . . . and Canterbury Tales

Summoner`s Tale

	Market Stall

To see more artefacts, go to Exhibition: For pilgrim pictures, go to Art Gallery

Reeve`s Tale

	The Dream

Clerk`s Tale

`Where is the Archbishop? Where is the traitor?`  These loud cries of false accusation rang through Canterbury Cathedral on the 29th day of December in the Year of Our Lord 1170. A bright wintry day, it would soon hold one of the darkest moments in English history. `Here I am, Archbishop but no traitor!` came the reply. But no sooner than the words were uttered, and despite the brave protection of Edward Grim, the Archbishop was dead. Yet who could have guessed the blood spilled at Thomas Becket`s high altar would give rise to a phenomenon that still exists today? Pilgrimage to Canterbury. And this in itself would lead, more than two hundred years later, to another sensation - Canterbury Tales!

Wife of Bath`s Tale

The Becket Ampulla     Although pilgrim ampullae were common at many shrines, none were    as elaborate as this pewter version, clearly showing Becket being struck       by one of the four knights. Featured on BBC television, it is the only       one of its kind known to exist. Still sealed, it is thought to have been        used as an icon, rather than its contents sprinkled during prayers.      Forensic scans have shown it to contain a residue on its inner walls, quite possibly the blood of the martyr, St Thomas Becket of Canterbury.

	Art Gallery

Miller`s      Tale

Chaucer`s Prologue

Merchant`s Tale