Salisbury Cathedral open to Visitors

Visitors are able to see the magnificent contemporary art exhibition 'Celebrating 800 Years of Spirit and Endeavour' in its entirety, for the first time since the launch was halted back in March.

Celebrating 800 years of Spirit and Endeavour was originally planned as one of a series of events taking place across the city of Salisbury in 2020 to celebrate the Cathedral’s move from Old Sarum and the laying of the first foundation stones on its present site. Many of those events were cancelled and some moved online.

With the anniversary in mind, the Cathedral team have been working hard behind the scenes to enhance the visitor experience, with special exhibits and information that tell this remarkable story and place the exhibition in context.

The Chapter House, which houses the 1215 Magna Carta, one of only 4 copies in the world, remains closed for the time being, but a near-perfect facsimile is on display in the main building.

In line with government guidelines, visitors are now required to book in advance. This helps the Cathedral manage numbers in the building and makes it possible to contact people quickly and easily should the need arise.

Cleaning and Covid-19 safety measures have also been put in place, including 2-metre social distancing. Details can be found on the website.

Those wishing to visit the Cathedral can book online via the Cathedral website.

Salisbury Cathedral’s Director of Development and Communications, Jane Morgan, who has been overseeing plans for reopening, said:

“With the art exhibition and the story of the Cathedral’s move all under one roof, we hope visitors will find a lot to enjoy. We have worked hard to ensure that everyone - visitors, volunteers and staff - are as safe as can be, and were awarded a VisitBritain ‘Good to Go’ mark last week.

“There are upsides to the changes we have had to make too; the one-way route that has been put in place means there’s a new exit via the Works Yards, affording visitors a tiny glimpse of life behind the scenes as they leave the Cathedral.”

Worksheets and a special trail are available for children visiting the Cathedral. Please ask as you enter or check on the Cathedral website.

The Bell Tower Tea Rooms are open, providing a takeaway service on the Cathedral lawns. Plans for re-opening the Cathedral Shop and Refectory are well underway, and a date will be announced in due course.