Worcester Cathedral
Worcester Cathedral
4.5
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
12:30 PM - 3:00 PM
About
A place of prayer and worship for fourteen centuries. Royal Tombs, early 12th Century round Chapter House, examples of every type of early English Architecture, beautiful Norman Crypt, medieval Cloister, magnificent Victorian stained glass. Stunning end to end vista. Crypt exhibition, interactive touch screens, mobile App Trails, Cloister Cafe.. Find out about the Cathedral's Anglo-Saxon roots, special saints, glorious musical heritage - and much more. Sunday Eucharist 10.30am, Holy Communion Wednesday 1pm & Friday 11.30am. Free admission. Donations welcomed.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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  • Bob
    St. Neots, United Kingdom244 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Let down by rude staff in gift shop.
    Beautiful and peaceful building with the Elgar window near the entrance and the tomb of King John near the main altar. Greeted by friendly staff at the entrance and they gave us a leaflet with a basic guide to the Cathedral. We visited the cafe for a scone, coffee and tea and the staff there were very friendly and helpful. After over an hour looking round the building we visited the gift shop but their staff let the Cathedral down. Two women that were, apparently, filling shelves but spending more time talking and being reluctant to move to let my wife pass with her walker as their idle chatter was obviously more important. Then the girl "serving" seemed like she didn't want to be there and was very rude and abrupt to my wife when she asked a simple question. Had it been me she had spoken to like that I would have just left our selected items on the counter and left without buying anything but my wife bought them anyway. Otherwise would be a full five stars !
    Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review. We're so pleased you enjoyed visiting us overall. We are sorry to hear of your experience in the shop and will pass this feedback on to the team to review. We hope to welcome you again soon!
    Written 18 October 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 11 October 2023
  • Marie
    11 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Lovely place, shame about the volunteers
    Stunning cathedral that is well worth a visit. The resting place of Elgar and King John the cathedral is huge and has some lovely little areas and chapels. We had lunch in the cafe which was also good, although menu was basic sandwiches and toasties. The down side is the pressure to donate. I would rather pay a small entrance fee than be pressured to donate a set amount by strict and judgemental volunteers. Totally understand and happy to pay towards upkeep but volunteers shouldn’t tut at people who do donate small amounts when there is a cost of living crisis on. Worth a visit but be prepared to be judged and not by him upstairs!
    Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us a review - we really appreciate it. We're so pleased you enjoyed your visit overall and will pass your feedback on to our welcome team for review. We hope to welcome you back again soon!
    Written 26 October 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 22 October 2023
  • Janet w
    8 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    WONDERFUL SERENE CATHEDRAL
    Absolutely stunning building. My daughter & myself at least 2 & a half hours walking around this wonderful place. Prince Arthur's tomb (Henry VIII's brother & 1st wife of Katherine of Arragon) was a highlight for me as was King John's resting place. Just so much to see & all free, donations accepted. Also has a well stocked gift shop. A must see.
    Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a wonderful review. We're so pleased you enjoyed your visit and hope to welcome you back again soon!
    Written 26 October 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 24 October 2023
  • Lindsay H
    27 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful visit
    The cathedral is huge, a lot bigger than it looks from the outside and is absolutely stunning. Lots to look at with helpful guides about. Free to enter with opportunities for a donation. There’s often events on including free lunchtime music on Thursdays. There’s a gift shop and coffee shop too. Highly recommend a visit.
    Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us such a lovely review, and we're so pleased you enjoyed your visit! We hope to welcome you again soon. Thank you.
    Written 9 November 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled solo
    Written 29 October 2023
  • TB
    Adelaide, Australia8 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amazing Cathedral, even better if you can get Anne to give you a tour!
    I had no idea about the history of Worcester & the Cathedral. It’s a beautiful building that shows clear examples of the Norman style of architecture contrasted with the later English Gothic style. The stained glass windows are beautiful and the crypt is fascinating. The best part by far was the wonderful volunteer guide Anne! At 85 she was as fascinating as the cathedral. A very knowledgeable and engaging guide. I feel very fortunate to have had the luck of meeting her.
    Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us such a lovely review, and we're so pleased you enjoyed your visit! We hope to welcome you again soon. Thank you.
    Written 9 November 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled solo
    Written 3 November 2023
  • chris69kidderminster
    Kidderminster, United Kingdom351 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Lovely place to visit
    Beautiful building, to be honest have been to Worcester so many times but never been in the Cathedral! What a fantastic building such a lovely relaxing atmosphere inside beautiful stained glass. The staff in there were so friendly but not “over the top”. They were there if you wanted to ask them questions but not “on top of you” if you didn’t they had it just right! Well done! Definitely worth a visit if you are in Worcester. To be honest we only went in this time because they had some craft stalls there because the Christmas market was on. But once inside we spent more time looking around the Cathedral than we did the stalls!
    Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us a review - we really appreciate it! We're so pleased you enjoyed your visit and hope to welcome you again soon.
    Written 13 December 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited December 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 1 December 2023
  • Ben E
    101 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fantastic cathedral
    Fantastic preserved cathedral with a cast amount of history. Staff were very Friendly and it was very clean. Entry cost is free however it’s suggested you make a donation. A must visit when visiting Worcester
    Thanks so much for taking the time to leave us a review! We're so pleased you enjoyed your visit and hope to welcome you again soon.
    Written 11 January 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 3 January 2024
  • Tracey G
    Halesowen, United Kingdom2,215 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Christmas Tree Festival
    This Christmas tree festival is such fun. Our 5 year old grandson loves it. Such creativity in the decorating. Free to view but donation asked for. Certainly worth visiting and giving a donation. Saw lots of people leaving without donating. A bit mean really Highly recommend. Much better than the trees in Lichfield cathedral where we went last year with our other grandchildren
    Thanks so much for taking the time to leave us a review! We're so pleased you enjoyed your visit and hope to welcome you again soon.
    Written 11 January 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 6 January 2024
  • Richard W
    Enfield, United Kingdom6 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Friendly and informative.
    Very warm welcome on arrival. We booked a tour and Mike was our guide. He was excellent. Informative, friendly and very knowledgeable. At £8 per person the tour was good value. We didn’t try the cafe but we did buy a few small items in the cathedral shop.
    Thanks so much for taking the time to leave us a review. We're so pleased you enjoyed your visit and hope to welcome you again soon!
    Written 25 January 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 13 January 2024
  • Jonathan M
    Worcester, United Kingdom672 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Excellent
    We went into look at the Christmas trees. The outside doesn’t do it justice to what’s on the inside. It’s such a beautiful building. So much to look at and take in the history of the area. As for the Christmas trees they where all beautiful and very cleverly done
    Thanks so much for taking the time to leave us a review. We're so pleased you enjoyed your visit and hope to welcome you again soon!
    Written 25 January 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 17 January 2024
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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles3,044 reviews
Excellent
2,303
Very good
655
Average
64
Poor
15
Terrible
7

Sonja Foster
Bristol, UK78 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020 • Family
Just gorgeous. Fantastic building. Plus crypt. My 8 year old was given a little reference trail pack which she loved. Spotting references and drawing her eye to different facts. My 12 year old took photos of the gorgeous stained glass windows. We donated £5 and felt it was more than worth a visit. Social distancing very good too. Most importantly.....the staff are amazing. So kind and thoughtful. Lots of facts and stories to tell. We were fascinated. Highly recommend a visit. I’ll be back too!!
Written 10 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

David D
Devon, UK26,753 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2022 • Couples
Saturday morning 29th October and we visited the most amazing building that is Worcester Cathedral.

There is no entrance fee here, however visitors are asked to make a donation, which goes towards the maintenance, upkeep and repair of this historic building.

At the entrance we were give a guide to the Cathedral, it was possible to download a guide via the App and QR codes also provided information.

On entering the Cathedral one of the first thing that drew our attention and that was the sheer height of the place. The arched ceiling supported by intricate ornate masonry was just jaw dropping.

We walked across the Nave of the Cathedral and found ourselves at the entrance to the Medieval Cloisters, along which we walked. This took us past the Herb Garden, the Millennium Window, the 12th century Chapter House, there were a number of old bells lined up along the way.

The Millennium Window consists of 21 etched episodes, both biblical and historical, that are relevant to Worcester.

Alongside the Chapter House is the Cloister Cafe. The 19th Pulpit is close by the entrance to the Cloister.

Not to be missed is the delightful Jesus Chapel between the entrance to the tower and the Beauchamp Tomb. The wooden carved altar screen is spectacular.

Throughout the Cathedral there are a number of tombs most notable are the tombs of King John, Sir John Beauchamp, Griffith Ryce and the Wyldes.

Sadly at the time of our visit we were unable to enter the Tower as repairs were underway following damage caused by Storm Arwen in November 2021. Damage was also caused to the roof of the Quire

To the side of the main altar is the entrance to the Crypt, it was such a treat to be able to visit and walk through the Crypt, definitely needs to be seen.

There are some spectacular and magnificent stained glass windows in the Cathedral. The most notable are the Elgar and the West windows at one end and the East window at the other end by the Lady Chapel

There was so much to see here, so many interesting features, stone carvings, tombs, stained glass, the Crypt, the list is endless
Written 11 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review. We're so pleased you enjoyed your visit and hope to welcome you again soon!
Written 20 June 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Richard A
Eastbourne, UK536 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2022
This is a stunning cathedral both outside and inside. Unfortunately, essential building works have obstructed much of the main part of the inside (as of Sept 2022). Scaffolding means that parts of the building are inaccessible.

We took the tour (£7), and was entertained by a very knowledgeable guide, sadly the strict 60 minutes allocated did not do justice to the building as we only covered a very small part of the cathedral. The guides are volunteers and there is no entrance fee, so it is not a surprise that things are not covered completely. For instance, this is the perfect place for a guided tour by earphones, but the cost is prohibitive.

Make sure that you have a guide book as this explains a lot.
Written 29 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

petjac
Worcester, UK32 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2019
This is a wonderful visit whether you are a visitor to the city or live within the city. There are so many areas to enjoy whether it is on or behind the great altar or in the crypt. The Cathedral often has displays around the site and thousands of visitors enjoy frequent trips to the Cathedral. There are guided tours and visits to the top of the highest tower. King John's tomb can be found and there are so many wonderful stained glass windows. There are quiet places to pray and the huge roof is inspiring in its length and complexity. Arcitecturally it must be one of the most interesting cathedrals in the country. A visit is a must.
Written 29 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Geoff H
Sissinghurst, UK17,399 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2022
Standing on a bank of the river Severn, Worcester Cathedral (or, to give it its official title, The Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Mary the Virgin) is extremely interesting and should be a "must see" if you are visiting Worcester. Outside, it is an unusual mish-mash of different styles of architecture, ranging from Norman to Gothic Perpendicular, while, inside, it is vast, yet homely, with a lofty roof and some beautiful stained glass windows. There's an exhibition, including the history of the Cathedral in the crypt and, as you wander around there are lots of interesting memorials. Amongst these are the Sikh Wars Memorial, the Sir Edward Elgar Memorial Window, the Tomb of Sir Joyhn Beauchamp of Powick and Alcester and, as a mark of the Cathedral's royal connections, the Replica Tomb of King John of England (Stanley Baldwin, one time Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, is also buried in the Cathedral). It is free to visit the Cathedral (but donations are welcomed) and there is also a shop,a cafe and toilet facilities. It is quite easy to spend either a morning or an afternoon here.
Written 10 March 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Grace M
Worcester, UK14 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019 • Solo
I’d highly recommend trying to go by the Cathedral at night when it’s lit up - a beautiful site. The Cathedral is full of interesting historical facts and absolutely gorgeous architecture. Would highly recommend a visit if you’re interested in history
Written 1 November 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Robert F
8 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2021 • Couples
I would normally give 5 out of 5 for this wonderful cathedral. But, at the moment on entering there is a desk with volunteers? And there are two card terminals each side of the entrance. Asking you to pay for entrance albeit voluntarily!!! Myself husband and friends go in and out of the cathedral a lot. We attend nearly all the concerts, we go to the cafe the gift shop light candles, we go in there probably several times a week. But we've stopped going in now because even though we're being told admission is voluntary some of your volunteers are very heavy-handed & passive aggressive! We donate regularly but certainly couldn't do it every time we go through. We are feeling terribly embarrassed having to walk through sometimes and we are absolutely definitely getting very dark looks! Our Beautiful cathedral for quiet reflection is no longer a relaxing place. I was confirmed by the then bishop at this beautiful cathedral over 60 years ago and it saddens me that we all now feel like this.
Written 8 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you very much for your feedback. I am really sorry that you have felt embarrassed when coming into the Cathedral, it is absolutely not our intention that anyone should feel that way. It is purely voluntary to donate. I am disappointed to hear that any of our team have not been completely welcoming to you and your family. I will certainly bring this feedback to the teams attention and we will learn from your comments. As a Cathedral we have made the decision to ask for donations at our entrance, but our team are trained to be as welcoming to those who do not want to donate, as to those who do, to be welcoming to regulars as well as first time visitors. Like many organisations the lockdowns over the past year have greatly affected the income to the Cathedral and we gratefully receive any donations to help the building be open and enjoyed by many. I do hope that you might come back to the Cathedral and we can have the opportunity to welcome you again. Kind regards The Visitor Experience Manager.
Written 10 September 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

rockmylobster
Droitwich, UK1,275 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021 • Solo
During lockdown I filled a jar with local places that I should visit but hadn't. On Tuesday I pulled Worcester cathedral from the jar.

I really enjoyed exploring the Cathedral - free entry but a suggested donation of £6. Hundreds of years of history seep from the building and the crypt is worth a visit!

I also saw the leaves exhibition which was quite moving.

Definitely worth an hour or so to visit.
Written 25 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

LiverpoolThejones
Liverpool, UK93 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020 • Family
Had a nice hour at the cathedral. It’s not very big so you get around quite quickly. In a beautiful part of town followed by a walk along the river. They ask for a donation at the door of £5 with the gentleman watching it’s hard to refuse.
Written 21 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Daniel C
Garstang, UK10 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019 • Family
My family and I went out for lunch and we thought it would be something different to go and have a walk around the cathedral. It was something completely different and was actually really engaging for my young son. He loved walking and running around. Once you go outside the second main entrance you can also go for a walk along side the river or have a nice cup of tea in the little cafe they have on site. Overall something different and nice to do. We put a small donation in the candle box. Well worth a visit if you have an hour or so to spare.
Written 23 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Worcester Cathedral

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