Cathedral's medieval tunnel opens

Thomas Becket was killed at Canterbury in December 1170

A 15th Century tunnel at Canterbury Cathedral which allows pilgrims to visit the site of the murder of Thomas Becket has been reopened to the public.

The tunnel, which was built around 1420, had been closed for over 40 years and used for storage.

It was built to enable 15th Century pilgrims to visit the site without disturbing the cathedral's monks.

Canterbury was one of the chief European centres of pilgrimage until the Reformation.

Now it has been cleared and reopened, it also gives tantalising new vistas of two central areas The Very Reverend Robert Willis

The Very Reverend Robert Willis, Dean of Canterbury, said the tunnel would give proper access to people in wheelchairs to the Martyrdom - one of the most important parts of the Cathedral.

"The Cathedral has hundreds of steps which can make life difficult for anyone who finds it hard to climb up and down steps," he said.

"Now it has been cleared and reopened, it also gives tantalising new vistas of two central areas of the Cathedral."