The oldest part of St Martin’s Church was built during the Roman occupation of Britain. It is unclear whether the building was originally a church, a mausoleum, or something else. King Ethelbert of Kent restored it for Bertha, a Christian princess from Tours, France, who married him in about AD 580. She prayed there regularly. It was then expanded to accommodate Augustine, a Benedictine monk in Rome, who arrived in AD 597 with 40 companions, who used St Martin’s as the first base for his mission. Ethelbert soon granted Augustine additional land in Canterbury, where Augustine founded the Abbey and the Cathedral, and he became the first Archbishop of Canterbury.
The east end of St Martin’s church was extended in the 12th-13th Centuries; the church tower was added in the 14th Century, and the building was substantially altered in the 19th Century, as seen today.
Canterbury’s UNESCO World Heritage Site comprises the church, St Augustine’s Abbey, the resting place of St Augustine and the first Archbishops of Canterbury, and experience the beauty of Canterbury Cathedral.
You can book a guided tour to discover more.

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Opening Hours for visitors
Wednesday to Sunday
11am-3pm
Please note there is a Sunday Service at 9am and a brief service of prayer on Thursdays at Midday, during which you may only look around the churchyard (unless you wish to join the service).

Price
Free
Large Groups*
£5 per person with the group’s own guide
£7.50 per person for a tour given by a church guide
* Just be pre-booked.

Accessibility
Given the site's historical and geographic context, wheelchair access is very limited: there are many steps up a steep hill, with additional steps inside the church. Not accessible for motorised scooters. Large print guides are available.

Getting There

Train
Canterbury West and Canterbury East stations.

Bus 
Canterbury Bus Station, top of the High Street.

Parking
On-street parking is available on North Holmes Road and St Martin’s Avenue - Pay & Display
Park and Ride
New Dover Road CT1 3EJ
Wincheap CT1 3TY
Sturry Road CT1 1AD
Pay & Display parking and car parks throughout the city - see the Canterbury City Council's parking page for more information.

Advisory Notes
The church is occasionally closed for private events; please get in touch with the church before visiting.

Picture Credit: © St Martin and St Paul.

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