St Paul’s Cathedral is a cathedral has stood at the highest point of the city of London for over 1400 years. The current cathedral was built to replace the one burnt down in the Great Fire of London. Christopher Wren’s masterpiece took 35 years to build and has been open for worship since 1697.
The Cathedral has five floors, all of which are filled with history, art, and wonder. The views from the top of the cathedral are unparalleled. The whispering gallery has the most amazing acoustic properties. The crypt is filled with ancient heroes.
Things to know before you go
If you are planning on taking a bag with you, then you
need to make sure that it would meet all the requirements for an airline cabin bag. It needs to be
relatively small and contain no offensive weapons. You may be searched before entering the cathedral.
There is a cafe within the cathedral. It’s open seven days a week, serving tea, coffee and light lunches. If you have your heart set on dining here then booking is advisable.
Sightseeing
You can explore the cathedral from 8:30 - 4:30, Monday to Saturday. On
Sundays, the cathedral is only open for worship. A full-price adult ticket costs £26. This gives you
access to the main floor of the cathedral, the three galleries that are housed in the dome and the crypt.
You can also engage with the guided tours and multimedia presentations that are freely available.
Worship
The cathedral is an active house of worship. There are services every day. It
is entirely free to attend the services. Monday to Saturday there are morning prayers at 7:30 am,
Eucharist at 8 am and 12:30 pm and Choral Evensong at 5:30 pm.
On Sundays Holy Communion is given at 8 am, Mattins at 10:15 am, Sung Eucharist at 11:30 am, Choral Evensong at 3:15 pm and the final Eucharist at 6 pm. As well as the regular services the doors are opened every hour and all visitors are invited to join in a recital of the Lord’s Prayer.
Getting there
The best tube stop for visiting the cathedral is St Paul’s. To get
there from the Darlington Hotel is very easy. The Central Line from Lancaster Gate will get you there in
about 15 mins.