This review of St Paul’s Cathedral came about because I had a child-free day trip to London. Imagine that! I couldn’t decide what to do and ended up here on a whim really. Finding out that St Paul’s Cathedral is actually one of the filming locations for the Harry Potter films kind of clinched it for me. The staircase up to Professor Trewalney’s Divination Class is actually The Dean’s Staircase. Sadly I didn’t get chance to look around the staircase. Turns out, that didn’t matter at all because the rest of the place is incredible.
If you do want to see the staircase for yourself make sure you ask about the free Geometric Staircase tour when you arrive. It lasts for 10 minutes and takes place throughout the day Monday – Satuday.
One thing I will say about this place, it’s not great for the smallest ones. I saw quite a few school kids whilst I was there, and I think the boys would have found it interesting. To get the most out of your visit you have to go up some steps. A LOT of steps. And if Smallest Child had been with me I can only imagine the amount of moaning had we attempted it. Actually, it wouldn’t have been safe for her to do parts of it.
St Paul’s Cathedral isn’t the kind of place I typically review, although I’ve also done one for St Albans Cathedral. There are going to be quite a few questions about it so you can skip to the FAQs here.
The cathedral floor
There’s a free multimedia guide available near the West Entrance and I recommend you get one. There’s adult and family versions available. Without them you’re kind of just looking at lots of stone slabs!
The interior is absolutely stunning, and it’s massive. There’s obviously a lot of memorials to various famous (and not so famous but notable) people. Including the quite frankly ostentatious Wellington monument! Does anyone really need something that big?
Obviously the dome itself is just amazing. The scale really is something else. Some random bloke did stop me though to ask what I thought of it and tell me it wasn’t as beautiful as the Hagia Sophia. That might well be true, but it’s still pretty bloomin’ impressive! The day that I visited St Paul’s Cathedral to do this review was actually the day of Prince Philip’s memorial service in Westminster Abbey. I just so happened to be sat under the dome whilst the vicar/bishop (I’m not entirely sure) was giving thanks and leading prayers. No matter what your religious persuasion, lack thereof, or feelings about the royal family are, I challenge you not to be moved by something like that in that situation.
Stand right in front of the stage, on top of the massive star and look up into the dome. If you look really really hard you’ll see a tiny opening. You can’t zoom in far enough in this photo to see it but it’s there. Remember that opening!
The galleries
When it says you can climb the dome of St Paul’s Cathedral and explore the galleries I had visions of getting up close and personal with that magnificent ceiling. When I visited to do this review the Whispering Gallery at St Paul’s Cathedral was closed so I knew I wouldn’t be doing that bit. There are 257 steps up to the Whispering Gallery. Up a large, twisty staircase, fairly easy going. Then you go onto the “new” route that isn’t normally open to the public to get to the Stone Gallery. This is another 90 steps. Finally up a couple of narrow, spiral, staircases to climb the final 152 steps to the top. If you were keeping track that’s 528 steps in total.
At the bottom there are various warnings about enclosed spaces, medical warnings and basically a long list of reasons why you shouldn’t make the climb. And they’re really not kidding. There are passageways on the way up that are only shoulders width wide. The metal staircases are not exactly easy to climb. And those galleries. They’re NOT inside – they’re outside! It’s worth the clamber, but it really is a clamber. I would take the boys up there (10 & 12) but I wouldn’t have taken Smallest Child (4 1/2) up there.
Oh, remember I told you to remember the opening? Well this is the view looking down from 85 meters above the cathedral floor. The little spots standing around the star – those are people! And there’s a couple of hundred chairs in the photo too.
Even on a rubbish day, look at the views though! On a clear day you can see to Windsor apparently. I happened to be up on the Stone Gallery overlooking the bell tower at the stroke of noon. Being that close to the bell whilst it was tolling was pretty cool!
The crypt
I always feel a bit weird about going into a crypt. It is a crypt after all. It’s not all burials, there are some plaques that are just memorials. There’s also a chapel within a cathedral – St Faith’s Chapel is down in the crypt. If you happen to be the holder of an MBE (or higher) then you and your children can get married here.
Down here you’ll find Nelson’s tomb, Christopher Wren’s tomb, ANOTHER memorial to Wellington (this time it’s his tomb) and a memorial to Florence Nightingale. Oh, and the gift shop and picnic area! Well I think it’s the picnic area. All the schools use it for that, and I was hungry so plonked myself down on a bench and had my lunch!
Our St Paul’s Cathedral Review
St Paul’s Cathedral surprised me. I thought it might be interesting, but I didn’t expect it to be as good as it was. Climbing to the top of the dome was flipping hard work! But I’m really glad that I did it. There’s a lot of history packed into these walls, but you’ll mostly only learn about it using the audio guide.
I’m not entirely sure how interesting a lot of kids will find it, particularly younger ones. The family audio tour will help, as will the lure of Harry Potter (if they’re fans). I just think there are more family-friendly places in London to visit.
FAQs
Are you allowed to take photographs in St Paul’s Cathedral?
I believe in the past you actually weren’t allowed to take photos. You now are, but only if there are no services taking place. Seems reasonable.
Can members of the public worship at St Paul’s Cathedral?
Yes! You don’t have to be a Christian to participate in services either, and they are free of charge. Most don’t require pre-booking (although there might be some popular ones that do). Services take place regularly throughout the day. You can find out when services take place here. It’s not a way to get out of paying the admission fee though – you are escorted from the building when the service is over by the looks of it.
Admission cost
Family ticket £43.70 (2A +3C), £30.70 (1A, 3C).Pre-booked annual passes are the same price as day tickets online. Prices correct at the time this review of St Paul’s Cathedral was published / updated. Check their website for the latest prices.
Blue Peter badge holders get in for free with a fee paying adult. Up to two free badge holders per fee paying adult.
Parking / How to get there
Parking – Use public transport
Address – St Paul’s Cathedral, St Paul’s Churchyard, London, EC4M 8AD
Toilets
On-site, including baby change
Food
Cafe on-site
What else is there to do nearby?
There’s so many family friendly days out in London! The Tower of London, Natural History Museum and British Museum are all great for kids. Kensington Palace is lovely, but I don’t think it’s particularly family friendly!
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Hi, I’m Vicky. My husband and I live in Aylesbury with our three children; a 14 year old son, an 12 year old son and a 6 year old daughter. I (mostly) love spending time together as a family. We visit all kinds of places and we’re quite happy to drive a fair distance for a decent day out. A few years ago I decided to set up Free Time with the Kids as a way to share our experiences of these family days out.
You’ll find the essential information you need to know before your visit that can be surprisingly hard to find out. Where do I park? How much will it cost me to get in? Are there any discounts available? Are there loos? Can I take a picnic or get food? My aim is to be your go-to guide for all your free and cheap family days out across Bucks, Beds, Oxon, Herts & slightly beyond. I really hope you find the reviews helpful. If there’s anywhere that you’d recommend please get in touch contact@freetimewiththekids.com or get in touch via Facebook
