

No, not that type of ‘high’ before you ask. The Central Tower at Durham Cathedral has now re-opened after three years of pain-staking reconstruction. For you and other travellers to the city, this means that you can experience the best views of Durham from the highest point. You can also take in how hard the restoration must have been. The particular stone used to build Durham Cathedral weathers very quickly. So whilst the new stone might seem bright and very out of place, it won’t take long before it ages and this whole process starts again.
Durham Cathedral is a must-do for any visitor to the city, especially if you want to have the complete experience. The interior is really inspiring and just simply looking up makes you question how on earth someone could build something this beautiful over 900 years ago! Yes, you read that right, nine hundred years ago! The Cathedral has also been used to film scenes for Harry Potter as well as, more recently, Avengers Endgame. Bill Bryson said that this was best cathedral on Planet Earth. Do I agree? I’m not sure I can fully agree as I’m from Lincoln and that cathedral is pretty epic! However, make sure you visit and make your mind up for yourself.


Need to Know
If you want to visit Durham Cathedral to climb the newly opened Central Tower, here’s what you need to know:
Opening Times = 10am to 4pm, Monday to Saturday
- Cost = £5 Adult £2.50 Child
- Steps = 325
I must say, the climb up to the top was quite intense so only really attempt it if you’re fit. It gets really narrow and steep about a quarter of the way up. Once you are at the top, you have to have a bit of flexibility to step up and down from the central platform. However, no matter how out of breath you are, the views are beautiful. You’ll be able to see how small of a city Durham really is and how much greenery surrounds the city.
Lastly, if you’re a student at the university, hold off climbing the tower until you graduate; it’s said to be very unlucky…
WHERE TO NEXT?
SPEND A PERFECT WEEKEND IN DURHAM
THE BEST PLACES TO EAT IN DURHAM
6 WONDERFUL CAFES IN DURHAM







MY 2023 TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR
FUJIFILM X-T5
FUJIFILM 18MM F/1.4
FUJIFILM 23MM F/1.4
FUJIFILM 35MM F/1.4
FUJIFILM 50MM F/2
PEAK DESIGN STRAPS
RECOMMENDED TRAVEL RESOURCES
If you liked ‘Getting High at Durham Cathedral’ why not pin the image below?

Please note that some links across this blog are affiliate links.
If you go onto purchase something through these links, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
If you enjoy what you’ve seen, you can buy me a coffee or a beer here.
Wow! Such a beautiful house of worship! I’d love to visit the cathedral. ❤️🙏🏻
It really is beautiful!! Thanks for the comment!
Love this – I’m a Durham graduate so it’s great to see! Such a beautiful city. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Thank you for commenting! I can imagine how good it must have been to have been at uni here!
Beautiful photo’s. I love visiting cathedrals and castles 🙂
Thank you! Me too, there’s just so many amazing castles and cathedrals in the UK and not enough time to visit them all!
This looks so incredible. The tower has been shut forever hasn’t it? Every time I have gone home in as long as I can remember it’s been covered in scaffolding. I haven’t been to the top since I was little and really want to go up again! Your pictures look fab – Durham is such a pretty city. It makes me want to be a tourist in my own city on my next visit in August! x
Thanks! It seems like forever – I lived in York when it first closed, moved to Durham, travelled Australia and moved back to Durham in the time it’s taken! You definitely should, you might love it even more!!
Wow! It’s been closed forever! I’ll put it on my list 😍
These photos are absolutely breath taking! I bet it felt amazing to see those views after the hard climb to the top.El // Welsh Wanderer
Ah thank you so much! Yeah it was absolutely brilliant!
Durham really is lovely and the cathedral is stunning. What a great post. I’d love to see it in person.
Thank you!
Stunning views and gorgeous pics, I would love to do this, thanks for such a great post!
Thank you for commenting! Glad you enjoyed it. The climb is definitely worth it!
A bit dizzying Jamie but beyond brilliant too.
It was definitely high and I’m not good with heights at all! Thank you as always!