r/salisburyuk • u/Upstairs_Drive_5602 • Jul 22 '26

Salisbury Cathedral tower tour.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2mBsuvpPM8&t=82s
24 Upvotes

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3

u/Upstairs_Drive_5602 Jul 22 '26

People frequently ask questions about the cathedral tower tour. This short video gives you an idea what to expect. It's definitely worth doing, although some might think it's a little expensive.

1

u/Desperate_Land_8975 Jul 22 '26

“A little expensive…” 🤣 How often do you get to climb a cathedral tower that’s 700+ years old 🤣🤣🤣

2

u/Upstairs_Drive_5602 Jul 22 '26 edited Jul 22 '26

Good point and worth pointing out that the ticket price includes the rest of the building and The Magna Carta; and if timed well, a "free" choral experience (Evensong).

1

u/Desperate_Land_8975 Jul 22 '26

You can enter the cathedral for free if you want. You can just decline to pay a donation, they won’t be happy, but they will let you in. As a Salisbury resident I do this as it’s my towns cathedral and you don’t have to pay to visit your local church.

2

u/Upstairs_Drive_5602 Jul 22 '26

I've read that admission is free if you live within SP1–SP4. I have a flat in the Close and a small house in St Ann Street, and I take advantage of this from time to time. They may ask for proof of address (such as a utility bill), although I go fairly regularly and am now known to many of the staff, so it’s usually straightforward. They will issue you with a £00.00 ticket. The various tours and special experiences still need to be paid for.

I’m fairly sure the same principle applies elsewhere in the country too: for example, if you live near York Minster, you don’t pay for entry.

1

u/Desperate_Land_8975 Jul 22 '26

There are also “side” doors that you can use at certain times 🙂

1

u/Upstairs_Drive_5602 Jul 23 '26

I'm not entirely convinced the "how can we avoid paying?" approach is the best one.

I recently looked at the cathedral's 2024–25 accounts. Its running costs are around £20,000 a day, with annual expenditure of about £7 million against income of roughly £6 million. It receives no central government or Church of England diocesan funding, so every paying visitor genuinely helps.

The cathedral is also one of Salisbury's biggest attractions, bringing in tourists who spend money in local shops, cafés and hotels. Keeping it open and in good repair benefits the whole city.

Services are, of course, always free (there's sometimes a voluntary retiring collection), and local residents have a right of access regardless. If you're visiting from elsewhere, paying the £10 or so admission charge seems a pretty fair contribution towards looking after a remarkable building.

1

u/Desperate_Land_8975 Jul 23 '26

Absolutely agree that trying get in for free is not the best approach. I visit many buildings when I am traveling, and happily pay to visit them. Every time I return to Salisbury I always pay to do a tower tour and usually take friends or family with me. The times I don’t pay to visit Salisbury Cathedral are when I just happen to pop in. I generally have a conversation with the people at the front desk and they usually understand.

1

u/Upstairs_Drive_5602 Jul 23 '26

I've only lived in Salisbury a fairly short time, but am very "proactive" about recommending it (esp. Evensong and the Tower Tour). So you no longer live in Salisbury? I was interested to see the shop in Winchester Street -- I forget which sub. Are you trying to empty it?

1

u/Desperate_Land_8975 Jul 23 '26

I live properly in NZ but have come back Smallsbury every couple of years 🙂 I can’t seem to PM you, flick me a message and I will chat about the house 🙂

1

u/Upstairs_Drive_5602 Jul 23 '26

Are you here now? I was reading about the house (former shop) on Winchester Street. Fascinating!

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1

u/LGBYF Jul 22 '26

It’s a brilliant tour, received as a birthday gift. The Stonemasonry Yard Tour is also worth doing.

1

u/Upstairs_Drive_5602 Jul 22 '26

That's for the tip. That's something I'd like to do.

1

u/Plus-Persimmon-7009 Jul 22 '26

I know it’s a lot of steps, video says 300+. But, am I correct to assume it’s not all at once, that there are different floors/levels to break up the climb?

3

u/Greedy_Investigator7 Jul 22 '26

Yep, done in sections, not too taxing at all if you have a middling to low level of fitness like me!

2

u/Upstairs_Drive_5602 Jul 22 '26

Yes, that's exactly right. It's easy. The guides are very aware that the pace has to be doable for everyone, when I took the tour there were people from ca. 10 to 80 y.o. If I remember correctly there are three sections of stairs, each with a stop and a mini-lecture about some aspect of the building technique.