Guided climb of the 211 steps in the Norman crossing tower of St Albans Cathedral, through the Lantern and bell chambers to the roof.
St Albans Cathedral is running Tower Tours on Saturday 19 December, with two slots that morning: 10am and 11.30am. It's a climb up the Norman crossing tower, built with reused Roman brick and described as the only great crossing tower from the 1000s still standing in England. You'll go up 211 steep, narrow steps into spaces that are normally only seen from below.
On the way up, you pass the Lantern with its painted ceiling and medieval coats of arms, then a Victorian gantry suspended over the medieval Presbytery and Shrine Chapel ceiling. After that, you reach the Bell Ringing Chamber and the Belfry, home to the cathedral's thirteen new bells and eight old ones. The whole thing takes about an hour and ends on the roof, overlooking the city of St Albans and, if the weather's on your side, the tall buildings of the City of London. The cathedral itself is a historic abbey church at the heart of the city, hosting concerts, talks, exhibitions and major cultural events alongside its religious life.
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There are a few things to keep in mind before you book. The climb isn't suitable for anyone with significant mobility difficulties, vertigo or claustrophobia, and children have to be 11 or over. Tickets are £15 for adults and £12 for children and young people aged 11 to 18.
