Free Tours and Demonstrations

Cathedral Floor Tours

Daily tours available on request  (subject to availability)

We have over 250 knowledgeable volunteer guides who will welcome you and help you get the most from your visit. If there are enough guides available, you might even get your own private tour! Alternatively, you can explore at your own pace using one of our free family-friendly guide maps or our fun Cathedral trail for younger children.

Medieval Clock demonstration: marking the centuries

Mondays – Fridays after prayers at 11:05 in the North Nave Aisle
Saturdays at 10:30 in the North Nave Aisle

Make sure you join us in time to see, and hear, the world’s oldest working mechanical clock in action.  Made in 1386 or earlier, it is mounted in an iron frame and has no dial!  In the past the clock struck a bell to remind the priests to pray.

Today the clock still measures the day with a steady tick but can now be seen at ground level in the Cathedral rather than in the tower.  It is wound up every day and has ticked over 5 billion times.  Come and watch while the mechanism is unlocked allowing the clock to strike a bell as it first did over 600 years ago.

NEW The English Reformation Spotlight Talk

A free 10-15 minute talk on the English Reformation in the sixteenth century and how the Reformation affected life at Salisbury Cathedral.

The English Reformation was a time of great change and upheaval for churches and communities across England. The break of the English Church by King Henry VIII from the Catholic Church changed forever religious life in England. Join our cathedral guides to find out more about the Reformation and related ancient documents from our archive now on display in the Cathedral.

Thursdays and Saturdays, 14:15, meet in the North Quire Aisle, no booking required, included in entry ticket. Running from 18 July until the end of October 2024.

Stained Glass Window Tours

Mondays, 12.00, Cathedral entrance in Cloisters, no booking required

Discover the rich history of our beautiful stained glass windows. The tour sheds new light on the Cathedral’s history and its community, from the scandal of the medieval glass abandoned in a ditch during the late 1700s, to windows commemorating wars, suffrage and even a Cathedral cat. Tours last approximately one hour.

Wealth, Power, Passion: Free Guided Tour

Wednesdays, 11:30, meet inside the Cathedral doors, no booking required

Designed by Cathedral Guide Helen Townend and her colleagues, this tour will introduce visitors to three women whose stories are intertwined with the history of the Cathedral and Wiltshire.

Meet the Masons

Tuesdays from 5 April – 3 October, 10:30 – 12:30, Cloisters, no booking required

Watch our stonemasons at work on Tuesdays from 10:30 to 12:30. See the experts who maintain and restore our Cathedral using tools and techniques that haven’t changed for hundreds of years. We welcome you to ask questions as they carve the stone before your eyes to find out more about life as a Salisbury Cathedral stonemason.

Summer Family Tours

Every Tuesday and Friday from 23 July – 30 August 2024, meet at the Font, no booking required

Our new Family Tours are delivered by Education guides who specialise in tours for children and young people. This tour aims to offer children an opportunity to discover and understand parts of the Cathedral, learning facts and stories that we hope spark a little mystery and inspiration.

The tours are for groups of a maximum of 15 people, please note all children must be accompanied by an adult on a 1:3 ratio (1 adult for every 3 children).

Timings:
Tuesday Tours 10:05 – 11:00
Friday Tours 14:05  – 15:00

Vestments Demo

Please note these demos are currently unavailable

Learn about a thousand years of worship with our free Vestments talks every Thursday.

Follow the journey from Old Sarum to the current site of Salisbury Cathedral, and discover the practices and traditions that have remained. Learn about life in the vestry, where vergers prepare for worship across the centuries and view some of the beautiful vestments and artefacts on display. No booking required.