Tower Tours

St Albans Cathedral is running its Tower Tours again this autumn, and there's a slot on Sunday 8 November if you fancy a climb. It's a guided tour that takes you up 211 winding steps inside the Norman crossing tower, which is the only great crossing tower from the 1000s still standing in England, and it's built of Roman bricks. The whole thing takes about an hour, so it's a proper bit of climbing rather than a quick pop up.

On the way up, you pass a few things you'd never see from the nave. There's the Lantern, with its painted ceiling and medieval coats of arms; a Victorian gantry suspended above the medieval Presbytery and Shrine Chapel ceiling; and the Bell Ringing Chamber and Belfry, which house the cathedral's thirteen new bells and eight old ones. The climb opens onto the roof, where you get views across St Albans and, weather permitting, as far as the City of London. The cathedral itself is a historic abbey church at the heart of the city, and it hosts concerts, talks, exhibitions and major cultural events alongside its religious life.

Before you book, there are a few practical things to keep in mind. The ascent is steep and narrow, so children have to be at least 11, and under-18s need to be accompanied by an adult. It's not suitable for anyone with significant mobility difficulties, vertigo or claustrophobia, and dogs aren't allowed. You're asked to arrive 10 minutes before the start.

Tickets are £15 for adults and £12 for children and young people aged 11 to 18. The tour on Sunday 8 November runs at 1pm and 2.30pm, and there are other dates throughout November and December if that one doesn't suit.