Miracles and Masterpieces | Thomas Becket, Canterbury Cathedral

Created from 1180-1220, the Miracle Windows are eight vivid and emotive stained glass windows, of an original twelve, that surround the former site of St Thomas Becket’s shrine in the Trinity Chapel of Canterbury Cathedral.

These extraordinary survivals represent some of the best-preserved examples of early medieval stained glass remaining in the UK and indeed in Europe. They are exceptional and irreplaceable works of early Gothic art.

In 2018, the Cathedral launched a major interdisciplinary endeavour: The Thomas Becket Miracle Windows Research and Conservation Project.

The project is jointly led by Léonie Seliger, Director of Canterbury Cathedral’s Stained Glass Studio, and Dr Rachel Koopmans, Associate Professor of Medieval History at York University, Toronto.

Seliger spearheads the conservation of the glass, while Koopmans carries out the academic research underpinning the endeavour. The project’s goal is to remove, examine, record, and conserve all eight of the surviving Miracle Windows, improving our knowledge of their contents and ensuring that they are preserved in stable environmental conditions. Find out more: www.canterbury-cathedral.org/...

Credits

Client – Canterbury Cathedral

This film was funded by The Guy and Elinor Meynell Trust through The Friends of Canterbury Cathedral | Reg. Charity no 1210093

Dean of Canterbury – David Monteith

Director of Canterbury Cathedral Stained Glass Studio – Léonie Seliger ACR

Associate Professor of History at Your University Toronto – Dr. Rachel Koopmans

Filmmaker – Alex J. Wright