Tower Tours at St Edmundsbury Cathedral 2024
Views across the town from the tower of St Edmundsbury Cathedral!
- Next Event
- 19th October - All day
- Following 3 Events
23/10/24 00:00
-23/10/24 00:00
26/10/24 00:00
-26/10/24 00:00
30/10/24 00:00
-30/10/24 00:00
About this event
Experience the Cathedral from a new perspective! Tower Tours are available on Wednesdays (at 2.00 pm) and Saturdays (at 10.30 am) from March to October.
A Tower Tour lasts 85 minutes and includes a behind the scenes look at the Cathedral building and specifically, the tower finished in 2005. You’ll slowly climb the tower, with view points along the way while you learn more about the build and the history of the building and town.
After climbing 202 steps, the big reveal from the tower roof is unparalleled views across the Bury St Edmunds skyline.
Tickets are available for just £12 per person and make the perfect experience for both locals and visitors. Book here.
Should you wish to arrange a group Tower Tour, please book in advance, by contacting visits@stedscathedral.org
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About the Venue
For over 1,000 years, the site of Suffolk ’s Cathedral has been one of worship and pilgrimage.
The death of Edmund, King of the East Angles, at the hands of the Danes in 869 led to the building of an abbey to house his remains. St James’s Church was built within the precincts of the Abbey, becoming a Cathedral in 1914. The Cathedral building has continued to develop over recent years with the addition of the Millennium Tower, completed in 2005, and its magnificent painted and gilded vault, added in 2010. In 2009 the Cathedral changed its dedication to become the Cathedral Church of St James and St Edmund.
Visitors are welcome to look around the Cathedral on their own. Entry is free but donations gratefully received. A free introductory leaflet is available in English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, and Polish. Visitors are most welcome to attend any of the daily services.
Guided Tours of the Cathedral run Monday to Saturday at 11am from the font from April to October. Tickets can be purchased at the Cathedral Shop. Occasionally a tour may have to be cancelled if another event is taking place in the Cathedral. If you are travelling some distance, please do ring the Cathedral office to check. These tours last approx 1 hour and cost £6 per person (under 16s free).
St Edmundsbury Cathedral Tower Tours - Experience a fascinating behind-the-scenes tour of St Edmundsbury Cathedral's Millennium Tower with fun and knowledgeable guides. Explore heady heights with amazing views from the top of the tower, the highest point in Bury St Edmunds! Don’t forget your camera!
St Edmund Statue by Dame Elisabeth Frink - A trip to Bury St Edmunds would not be complete without a photo of the iconic St Edmund statue by Dame Elisabeth Frink. The statue can be found outside in the Great Churchyard of the Cathedral.
Cathedral Lego Project - St Edmundsbury Cathedral has launched an ambitious project to recreate the Cathedral out of 200,000 LEGO bricks! Visitors can see the Lego Cathedral being built before their eyes and donate a brick to be part of this amazing project. The Lego Cathedral is located in the South West corner of St Edmundsbury Cathedral. Opening times may vary based on volunteer availability.
The Ancient Library - The Ancient Library was founded by Dr Miles Mosse in 1595 as a resource for clergy training. There are over 550 books, mainly printed in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The library, in a room over the north-west porch designed by Stephen Dykes Bower in 1960, has bookcases made by Leonard Goff in 2004. If you would like to visit the library, please contact the librarian through the Cathedral Office on visits@stedscathedral.org or 01284 748730.
Pilgrim's Kitchen - after touring the Cathedral why not relax with a cuppa at the Cathedral's cafe?
About the Venue
Experience a fascinating behind-the-scenes tour of St Edmundsbury Cathedral's Millennium Tower with fun and knowledgeable guides. Explore heady heights with amazing views from the top of the tower, the highest point in Bury St Edmunds! Don’t forget your camera!
Join the Tower Guides on an exciting journey where you will learn more about the origins of the Cathedral church and about its continuing development over the last century culminating in our most exciting project in recent years; the building of a 160ft Millennium tower which was finished only in 2005. The magnificent Vaulted Ceiling followed in 2010.
The brief for the build for was for a tower to be constructed with traditional methods and materials which would last for over one thousand years!
Visitors on the tour will be see rare views of the Cathedral itself and across the town and wider countryside and on some days as far as Ely. The 160ft tower represents modern technology and traditional craftsmanship co-existing side by side. On this tour, there are various stopping points, looking out over the South Transept roof, the chance to look out of the Gallery onto the Quire and see our painted Nave roof up close. The tour also takes in the area above the vaulted ceiling before visiting the roof with its amazing views
Tour Times - Cathedral Tower Tours run from March to October on Wednesdays at 2pm and Saturdays at 10.30am. Tours are 85 minutes long.
Tickets are £12 per person. Tickets must be pre-booked in advance from the Cathedral Shop or book online.
Due to Covid-19 restrictions, tours are currently limited to four visitors per tour. There are certain Health and Safety conditions for the Tower Tours which can be viewed in more detail before booking on the Cathedral's website and you will be asked to sign a disclaimer prior to ascending the tower.
If you are interested in booking a group Tower Tour please contact visits@stedscathedral.org.
