The Abbey of St. Augustine the Benedictine Abbey in Canterbury (Kent). William Thorne - the chronicler of the Abbey, who lived in the late fourteenth century, indicates that it was founded in the year 598. The founder of the Abbey - St. Augustine, the first Archbishop of Canterbury, after whom it was subsequently named. Since its Foundation the Abbey was the burial place of the archbishops of Canterbury and the kings of Kent. Many of the graves have been preserved to our days and attract many tourists.

At the end of the tenth century Archbishop Dunstan rebuilding the Abbey again, and the original Anglo-Saxon buildings were completely replaced by stately buildings in the Romanesque style. In the XIII - XIV century added many Gothic buildings.

Like many similar to him, the Abbey of St. Augustine throughout its history it was the center of education. Here was founded the oldest, according to some sources, the Royal School, and the library of the Abbey consisted of 2000 volumes - unthinkable at the time figure! Many books have been created by the scribes of the Abbey.

But during the reformation the Abbey was dissolved by a decree of king Henry the Eighth and rebuilt as a Palace for Queen Anne of Cleves. Gradually, buildings were destroyed, and only in the XIX century began to take some effort for its conservation and restoration.

Nowadays, the Abbey of St. Augustine included in the UNESCO world heritage list. Annually it is visited by thousands of tourists.