Cathedral Cities of England: Evensong, Towers and Restricted Centres

The ones worth travelling for

England has more great medieval churches than any comparable country, and the best of them are not always the famous ones. Wells has the scissor arches under the crossing and Vicars' Close, the oldest continuously inhabited street in Europe. Ely floats above the fens with an octagonal lantern that is a genuine feat of medieval carpentry.

Durham sits on a peninsula in a loop of the Wear with the castle, forming one of the great architectural compositions in Europe. Lincoln crowns a steep hill. York has the largest expanse of medieval stained glass in the country. Each rewards a full morning rather than a passing look.

Services shape the day, not the other way round

A cathedral is a place of worship first. Sung services, ordinations, civic occasions and school events all close parts of the building or the whole of it, sometimes at short notice. Photography restrictions vary and some areas are closed during services. This is not an obstacle if you plan for it. Evensong, sung during term by the choir, is free to attend and is the single best way to experience the acoustic of these buildings. Service times differ between cathedrals and by day, and choirs do not sing in vacation, so confirm before building an evening around it.

Tower climbs and the parts you have to book

Most of the great cathedrals run tower or roof tours that get you into the spaces the architecture actually happens in: triforia, roof voids, spiral stairs inside buttresses. These are booked, scheduled, and subject to conditions on age and fitness set by each cathedral. They are worth the effort where they exist. The climb at Salisbury, the octagon tour at Ely and the central tower at York all change how you understand the building. None of them can be arranged on the day at a busy time.

• Book tower and roof tours ahead; they run to a fixed schedule
• Evensong is free but choirs sing only in term
• Some areas close during services and civic events
• Photography rules vary between cathedrals and by area

Getting into the cities

Cathedral cities almost all have restricted historic cores. York has extensive foot streets with camera-enforced access, Durham has a road user charge on the peninsula, Lincoln's cathedral quarter sits at the top of a steep and narrow hill, and Wells is a small city with a very small centre. The pattern that works is the same everywhere: a set-down close to the cathedral precinct, the car parking outside the restricted area, and a pickup at an agreed point. It also spares the walk back up Lincoln's hill at the end of the afternoon.

Building a cathedral itinerary

Two cathedrals in a day works if they are genuinely close, such as Ely and Cambridge, or Wells and Bath. Three is too many; the buildings blur and the driving takes over. Pairing a cathedral with a garden, a market or a landscape gives a better-shaped day than pairing it with another cathedral. For a longer trip, a route through Winchester, Salisbury and Wells covers the south; Ely, Norwich and Lincoln cover the east; and Durham with York covers the north. Each of those is a comfortable two-day itinerary rather than a single push.

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