Norwich Cathedral

Norwich Cathedral tickets: which one to buy

Norwich Cathedral stands in a large, green close in the centre of Norwich, Norfolk, England, and entry is free, with donations welcome; guided tours are offered daily. It has the second tallest spire and the largest monastic cloister in England. Norwich is about two hours from London by train, and visitors often combine the cathedral with Norwich Castle, a Norman keep with a museum, the medieval streets of Elm Hill and Tombland, the Norwich market, one of the largest open-air markets in England, and the Norfolk Broads, a network of rivers and lakes nearby.

The cathedral has a modern refectory and hostry, designed by Michael Hopkins, with a café. The peregrine falcons that nest on the spire can be watched on a webcam and from a viewing point in spring. The cathedral is active, with daily services and choral evensong. The walk from Norwich station to the cathedral along the river takes about fifteen minutes.

Visiting Norwich Cathedral: what to see

The cathedral was begun in 1096 by Bishop Herbert de Losinga, after the Norman Conquest, and built of stone brought from Caen in Normandy; it was completed in 1145, and it is one of the finest Norman buildings in Europe. The spire, rebuilt in the fifteenth century after an earlier one collapsed, rises ninety-six metres. The nave's roof is covered with more than a thousand carved and painted roof bosses, telling the story of the Bible from the Creation to the Last Judgement, which can be studied with the help of mirrors. The cloister, the largest in England, also has carved bosses. The cathedral holds the grave of Edith Cavell, the Norfolk-born nurse executed by the Germans in 1915 for helping Allied soldiers escape, which lies outside the east end. Inside, the Despenser Retable, a medieval painted altarpiece, survived by being used as a table.

The bishop's throne, behind the high altar, is one of the oldest in England. The nave's Norman arches and columns rise in three storeys, and the vault above was built in the fifteenth century. The cloister's bosses show scenes from the Apocalypse and the lives of saints. The Chapel of Saint Luke holds a painted retable, and the Jesus Chapel has a medieval painting. The Ethelbert Gate and the Erpingham Gate, both medieval, lead into the cathedral close. The close, with its green lawns and old houses, is one of the largest in England. The Pull's Ferry, a medieval water gate on the river Wensum, was used to bring the stone from Normandy by boat. The labyrinth in the cloister garden is a modern addition. The cathedral's library holds old manuscripts and printed books.

Norwich Cathedral opening hours and the best time to go

The cathedral is open daily, with visits restricted during services. Norwich is pleasant all year, and the Norfolk and Norwich Festival in May brings arts events to the city. The peregrine falcons nest on the spire from March to June. Christmas brings carol services and a market in the city. Choral evensong is sung most days. Allow about an hour for the cathedral and cloister, and walk down Elm Hill and through Tombland afterwards. Guided tours run several times a day, and there is no need to book in advance.