Tower Climb

Coventry Cathedral is running its final tower climb of 2026 on Saturday 31 October, the last chance to get up there before the year closes. It's a 180-step climb up a spiral staircase to a viewing platform on the roof, and from the top you get some of the best views over the city.

The tower itself is a Gothic masterpiece, standing more than 100 metres high — it's now the third-tallest cathedral tower in England. Its massive base took 20 years to build in stages starting in 1373, and the spire followed in 1433. It survived the incendiary bombing that gutted the cathedral and the city on 14 November 1940, and it narrowly escaped being blown up afterwards when a demolition crew failed to realise it had been leaning for at least a century. The climb takes you right up into that history.

There are a few practical things to keep in mind before you head up. The climb isn't wheelchair accessible: the base is reachable one way, but the ascent itself is 180 uneven steps. Children climb at a carer's discretion, and no one under eight is permitted. If you're bringing kids, that's something to weigh up beforehand.

Tickets are £5 for adults, £4 for students with a valid student card, and £2.50 for under 18s. Go CV members get 10% off adult tickets with a fully validated card. The tower is open every Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 3pm, though hours can be reduced by events in the Ruins or by bad weather, and it's closed for the whole of January. You'll find the tower base via the Cathedral Ruins.