With over 70,000 tons of medieval craftsmanship to admire and nearly 800 years of history to explore, we suggest you allow between 1.5 – 3 hours for your visit. If you don’t have that long, you can see most of the highlights in 45 minutes. Occasionally the Cathedral, or parts of it, may need to close or offer restricted access so please check before you travel. We warmly invite you to join one of our services to hear our talented choirs in action – you can find all the information and times you need by clicking on the button below. You can also download our latest event leaflet at the bottom of this page.

Please scroll to the bottom of this page to see details of restricted access/closures

View services

View latest event leaflet

Opening hours

Our standard opening hours can be seen in the table below. We suggest arriving at least one hour before closing to make the most of your visit.

Restricted access/closures

Occasionally the Cathedral, or parts of it, may need to close or only offer restricted access for a service, special event or day to day maintenance. We try to minimise these periods as much as we can, as we know that people travel long distances to visit us. Please remember to check for last minute changes prior to your visit as some events, such as funerals, are only arranged at short notice.

Until 31 October - heating repair work, all day 
Access is restricted due to essential work to replace pipes along the south nave aisle 

Friday 26 October - Graduation Ceremony
The Cathedral  will be closed to visitors for the ceremony and will open at 13.30.    Chapter House with the Magna Carta, Shop and Refectory will be open as normal.