The Church That Changed England Forever? | St Martin’s Canterbury

Long before the towering spires of Canterbury Cathedral rose into the English skyline, a much smaller, humbler church quietly shaped the spiritual and cultural destiny of a nation. In this episode, The Wondering Englishman visits St Martin’s Church in Canterbury — widely regarded as the oldest church in continuous use in the English-speaking world. I explore its Roman roots, Saxon legacy, and its pivotal role in the Christianisation of England. It was here Queen Bertha worshipped. It was here Augustine began his mission in 597 AD — a moment that would ripple through English history for centuries. But is this just another old church? Or is it something far more significant — a foundation stone in England’s national identity? Whether you’re fascinated by early Christian history, intrigued by ancient architecture, or simply wondering how a single building can hold so many stories, this video is for you. Time Stamps: 00:00 - Introduction 00:47 - We can partly thank the Romans 01:18 - 580 AD - The Princess 01:50 - Step inside St Martin's Church 03:16 - The Pagan Found Christ 04:02 - Outside in the Graveyard 04:26 - Saily - E-Sim - Use the Code "Wondering" for 15% off your Purchase 04:53 - What we have was Not Given to us freely! 06:09 - Thank you to my Supporters! Today's Sponsor is Saily - My go-to E-Sim Provider - https://www.saily.com/wondering Use Code "Wondering" for 15% off your Purchase 🔔 New to the channel? 🎥 I’m The Wondering Englishman – exploring the world with curiosity and critical thinking. My channel isn’t here for influencer selfies — it’s about real, honest insights, and the bigger stories behind every journey. 📱 FOLLOW ME EVERYWHERE: 🌍 Website: https://www.thewonderingenglishman.com 📸 Instagram:   / thewonderingenglishman   🎥 Odysee: https://odysee.com/@vanTerheyden:f ❌ X (Twitter):   / wonderingeng   👍 Facebook:   / thewonderingenglishman   💷 SUPPORT THE CHANNEL ❤️ Join the Channel for Postcards & Perks → https://bit.ly/TWEjoin 💷 Patreon:   / membership   ☕ Buy Me a Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/thewonderingenglishman ☕ Buy Me a Coffee: https://coff.ee/thewonderingenglishman 💷 SubscribeStar: https://www.subscribestar.com/the-won... 🚖 TRAVEL CREDITS 🚕 UBER – Use Code: uberAVT – Free £/$ credit varies 🛴 LIME Scooters – Code: RBJ6RC5 – 1 Free Unlock 🚘 Rentals & Transfers: • Cars: https://discovercars.tp.st/fE9m6v7Q • Private Transfers: https://gettransfer.tp.st/UO8Kw9iA 💷 UK Free Stock Offer: https://magic.freetrade.io/join/alexa... 🌍 Free Money Transfers: https://wise.com/invite/ata/alexander... 🎬 SHOT WITH: 🔵 DJI Osmo Pocket 3: https://locally.link/KFWT 📀 Micro SD Card - 256 GB: https://locally.link/7OK4 🎵 MUSIC LICENSED FROM: Lickd & YouTube 🎵 Get Your Music from Lickd – Free Track: https://locally.link/1Evb 🎵 #EnglishChurches #England #ChurchesOfEngland #Church #Canterbury #Europe #HistoricalEngland #HistoricalEurope #earlychristianity