Behind Locked Doors in Winchester Cathedral
Schedule
Sat Jul 04 2026 at 03:00 pm to 04:30 pm
UTC+01:00Location
Winchester Cathedral | Winchester, EN
Advertisement
This bespoke private tour takes you to places not generally accessible or covered by the regular guided tours, many of which are behind doors locked to the general public. These hidden spaces offer a magical insight as to what goes on behind the scenes in this magnificent building.
Starting in the main body of the cathedral the tour enables you to enter a number of the chantry chapels containing the tombs of some of the powerful medieval bishops-come-statesmen, and see, close up, the decoration of these shrines. This includes 2 chapels directly behind the main alter of the cathedral.
The tour then visits the Holy Sepulchre Chapel with its remarkable and rare 12th Century frescoes, before entering the underground the crypt, below the east end of the cathedral
The tour will then take you to some of the higher level hidden areas, firstly up through the Kings and Scribes Exhibition to the top level in the South transept called the Clerestory. You will walk along this level where the monks used to open the shutters to let in the light to the floors below. The tour enters a very narrow medieval stairwell taking you up into the largest bell ringing chamber in the country and it is here that you will learn about how we ring the bells and see where the bell ringers carry out their duties.
From here we go into the roof space above the nave to see how the Norman carpenters worked over nine hundred years ago, to put a roof over the West end of the Cathedral. We shall end the tour by going out onto the South parapet to look down on the Cathedral’s inner close before descending to the ground floor.
Visitors should be aware that this tour involves a climb up 125 steps (very narrow at times) to reach the bell tower, uneven floors and steps down in to the crypt. The tours lasts for around 90 minutes and may not be suitable for those who don't like confined spaces
There are times in which the crypt is flooded in which case the tour will visit the view platform which overlooks the crypt
Just £17 per person
Advertisement
Where is it happening?
Winchester Cathedral, 6 High Street, Winchester, SO23 9AP, United KingdomEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.
