Canterbury Cathedral Lodge

About the venue

A hotel and conference centre inside the precincts of Canterbury Cathedral, run by the cathedral itself. The Clagett Auditorium seats 120 for dinner or 190 theatre-style, drinks move to the Campanile Garden, and hotel guests get free cathedral entry.

Archbishop George Carey laid the cornerstone of Canterbury Cathedral Lodge in 1998. A carved stone slab still records it.

The site, on the south side of the Precincts, had lost its buildings to bombing in 1942. Sir William Whitfield designed the new ones, with late Gothic and Tudor touches and lead roofs to match the cathedral. The Duke of Kent opened them in 2001.

Canterbury Cathedral owns and runs the Lodge, and all its income supports the cathedral's care, music and worship.

Events centre on the Clagett Auditorium, which has natural acoustics, theatre lighting and a balcony. It seats 190 theatre-style or 120 for a banquet. The Kentish Barn takes 100 and splits into two rooms, and the Common Room hosts meetings of up to 50.

Outside, the Campanile Garden sits on raised ground facing the cathedral. It is used for drinks receptions, barbecues and outdoor performances.

The main Lodge has 28 en-suite bedrooms, all with cathedral views. Guests also get free entry to the cathedral. Canterbury East and West stations are ten minutes' walk away, and high-speed trains reach London in under an hour.

Inside Canterbury Cathedral's precincts

Owned and run by the cathedral

Clagett Auditorium: 120 banquet, 190 theatre

Kentish Barn for 100, Common Room for 50

Campanile Garden facing the cathedral

28 Lodge bedrooms with cathedral views

Free cathedral entry for hotel guests

Ten minutes' walk from the stations