Fire at Canterbury Cathedral

Timeline

1. 1170–1174Canterbury Cathedral · KentThomas Becket was killed inside the cathedral and swiftly canonized; pilgrimage donations gave the monks the means to develop the eastern shrine. At the time the choir was still Romanesque and early transitional in structure, no longer adequate for the growing stream of pilgrims and the display of relics.
2. 1174Choir of Canterbury Cathedral · KentGervase's chronicle records that the fire spread from neighboring houses to the timber roof structure, melting the lead sheeting and destroying the choir's interior decoration and some relic repositories. Much of the western nave survived, but the eastern liturgical space had to be completely rebuilt.
3. 1174–1175Canterbury Cathedral · KentAfter comparing several craftsmen, the monks chose William of Sens. Following Île-de-France Gothic practice, he designed rib vaults, high windows, and flying buttresses, making the rebuilt choir one of the earliest mature Gothic works in England and serving the pilgrimage circulation around Becket's shrine.
4. 1178–1184Canterbury Cathedral · KentIn 1178 William of Sens fell from scaffolding and was crippled; the work was taken over by William of England, who continued the eastern extension and the Holy Trinity Chapel. The post-fire rebuild established the early English Gothic paradigm, influencing cathedrals such as Lincoln and Rochester.