Canterbury Cathedral contains the earliest surviving large group of figurative stained-glass windows in Britain.
The cathedral’s surviving early glass dates mainly from the late 12th century, especially the period after the murder and subsequent cult of Archbishop Thomas Becket. The windows include figures and narrative scenes made for the cathedral’s expanding pilgrimage role.
Some of the glass is associated with the Miracle Windows, which depict healings attributed to Becket after his death in 1170. These scenes are valuable not only as religious art but also as evidence of medieval pilgrimage, visual storytelling, costume, architecture, and workshop practice.
The phrase “earliest surviving large group” is more precise than saying Canterbury has Britain’s oldest stained glass of any kind. Older fragments and individual pieces exist in other places, and dates can vary by window. Canterbury’s importance lies in the substantial surviving ensemble of early figurative glazing.