Accessibility Guide for Salisbury Cathedral

Travel by public transport

You can get to Salisbury Cathedral by bus and train.

Salisbury Cathedral is situated in the centre of the picturesque and historic city of Salisbury which is surrounded by the beautiful Wiltshire countryside. The city has excellent road, rail, bus and coach links to London, Stonehenge. The nearest bus stop is 5 minutes walk away. Salisbury has regular bus services from Southampton, Bournemouth, Ringwood, Swindon, Marlborough, Andover and Amesbury as well as coach services from Bath, Oxford, Brighton, Bristol and Cambridge. The Stonehenge Tour (operated by Salisbury Reds) joins the sites of Stonehenge, Old Sarum and Salisbury Cathedral in one trip. Regional travel is serviced by More Bus - for national travel contact National Express Coaches. The bus stop is 0.4 miles / 0.6 km from Salisbury Cathedral .

The nearest train station is Salisbury Train Station . The train station is 1.2 miles / 1.9 km from Salisbury Cathedral .

The two  main rail routes intersect at Salisbury so getting here by train from London, Bath and the West Country is easy.  The Cathedral is less than a 10-minute level walk from the station.

South West Trains operate direct from London Waterloo to Salisbury (journey time 90 minutes).  

First Great Western run routes from Cardiff, Bristol, Bath, Portsmouth and Southampton.

For train timetables visit the National Rail website.

You can get a taxi with Value Cars Wheelchair Transfers by calling 01722 556666. The taxi company has a wheelchair accessible vehicle.

You can get a taxi with City Cabs by calling 01722 505055. The taxi company has a wheelchair accessible vehicle.

Parking

We have a car park. There are accessible parking spaces. Parking is not free.

There are 9 designated parking spaces within the Cathedral Close for Disabled Blue Badge Holders at a cost of £7 per day. Our Traffic Team will direct drivers on arrival to suitable parking. Our main designated disabled parking spaces are some 100 metres away from the main entrance along a flat tarmacked path. From the car park to the entrance, there is level access.

THE CATHEDRAL CLOSE

The whole of the Cathedral Close is level ground and has paved walkways leading around and through it.

There are numerous quiet seating areas within the Cathedral Close, with benches situated on the lawns around the Cathedral.

Path to main entrance

From the street to the main entrance, there is level access.

Main entrance

The main entrance has level access.

MAIN ENTRANCE AND DONATIONS DESK

Both the West Cloister entrance (the usual main entrance) and the North Porch are accessible by visitors using wheelchairs.  The West Cloister entrance has a fairly steep stone slope down into the cloisters themselves, which are then flat and paved. The slope is 1950mm long and drops 1 in 6.  Alternative access can be arranged via the North Porch if requested in advance.

All doors inside the Cathedral, cloisters and refectory are automatically operated using a push button system. 

Visual Impairment - General Information

Some parts of the venue have low lighting.

Ticket/ information desk

The Donations Desk

From the main entrance to the desk, there is level access. The route is 1470mm wide, or more.

Volunteer Cathedral guides will welcome you into the Cathedral and there is an information leaflet available in large print. 

During services and some concerts, a hearing loop system is available. 

There is a “touch and feel” model of the Cathedral available for those who are partially sighted or blind which will enable you to feel a floor plan of the Cathedral as well as a model of the building itself. In addition, our Cathedral guides can talk you through each area of the Cathedral if you join a tour.

If you would like a tour of the Cathedral and have a particular need, please inform the guides and they will endeavour to assist.

Dogs are welcome in the main part of the Cathedral and drinking water is available for them outside the Refectory Café.

We welcome all types of mobility scooters and wheelchairs and we have three manual wheelchairs available for visitors to use. Please ask at the Front Desk if you wish to borrow one of our wheelchairs.

There are two disabled access toilets which are for the sole use of people with disabilities, visible or hidden. These are located by the main toilets and accessed off the East Cloister.

The Cathedral is a dementia friendly environment with several of our staff and volunteers trained as Dementia Friends. 

We aim to be a welcoming environment for those living with an Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC) and work hard to ensure a positive visitor experience.

For those living with an ASC we can arrange bespoke tours of the Cathedral at a quieter time. Please contact visitors@salcath.co.uk or phone 01722 555120 if you would like to arrange this. 

The Cathedral has very good acoustics and consequently you may find that even low level noise can sound quite distorted.  The interior of the building is vast and there is a lot to take in.  If you need some time to adjust to this or need to sit quietly, please feel free to do so.  Staff and volunteers are always on hand to help.

During the day the Cathedral tends to be busy with visitors although the volume of noise is low.  On occasions there will be organ tuning taking place in the morning and this can be noisy. If we know that organ tuning is taking place, there will be a sign informing visitors as they enter the Cathedral.  If you need to check this in advance, please phone the Vestry on 01722 555150.  In addition, we have some ear defenders available for you to use during your visit. Please ask one of our tour guides if you would like to borrow a set.

The Cathedral often hosts concerts and services which will mean that there will be music and singing.  You can check to see if there is a concert or event taking place via the events page on the website. www.salisburycathedral.org.uk/events-and-services

Things to See and Do

We have performances with: touch tour.

We have display information in: large print.

The Cathedral Nave

From the main entrance to this area, there is level access. There is a permanent ramp. Some display information is low, for wheelchair users. There are seats.

Once inside, the majority of the Cathedral floor, the Chapter House, Refectory and shop are wheelchair accessible.

The Cathedral floor is made up of different kinds of stone varying in colour, some of which is uneven. There is level access to the nave and via small ramps to the central Quire and to the Trinity Chapel. Access to the side chapels can be arranged via the Information Desk and the St Michael Chapel is always available for private prayer.  The only area of the Cathedral floor that is currently not accessible to wheelchair users is the Audley Chapel. 

Tower, Library & Graffiti Tours

We recommend that you book online to guarantee a space on one of our Tower Tours, see www.salisburycathedral.org.uk/visit/tower-tours for more information on how to do this.

Regrettably Tower Tours and Library Tours may not be suitable for people with mobility issues.  Some of the stone spiral staircases date back to the 13th century and have no handrails. There are 332 steps to the base of the Spire. Tours to our Library involve accessing a stone spiral staircase with 37 steps. We can however share material with you about the Library or the Tower and Spire’s history, its construction and interior. Please enquire at the Information Desk inside the Cathedral.

People who feel anxious in enclosed spaces or who have a fear of heights may also find the tour difficult.

We regret that dogs including guide dogs are not permitted on tower tours.

If you have a specific need and would like to book an individual tower, library or graffiti tour, then please phone 01722 555120 to discuss how we might be able to assist you.

In addition there are tours of the stonemason's yard and children's trails.

Magna Carta exhibition is located in The Chapter House.

You can also attend one of our daily services, details can be found  www.salisburycathedral.org.uk/events-and-services.

 

Events & Concerts

The Cathedral often host a range of events and activities from concerts to talks, lectures and workshops.

Wheelchair users will be directed to suitable locations for each concert and for Salisbury Cathedral concerts a carer's ticket will be offered free of charge.  

If you are looking to book onto a particular event via the Cathedral’s website, there is a facility on there to notify us of any particular need you may have.  Alternatively, you can contact visitors@salcath.co.uk or 01722 555120 and we will endeavour to meet your request.

 

 

The Choir Stalls

From the main entrance to this area, there is level access. There is a permanent ramp. Some display information is low, for wheelchair users. There are seats.

SERVICES

Large print Orders of Service are available for all services.  With prior notice we can provide a transcript and on occasions we will provide a BSL interpreter.

There is clear access for Holy Communion or if you prefer to receive communion in your seat, please do let a Verger know.  We offer gluten free Communion wafers. Please let a Verger know if you require this.

For our large services, all wheelchair users will be situated in the South Transept.

Our Vergers and Stewards are always on hand if you require assistance during any of our services.

 

The North Choir Aisle

From the main entrance to this area, there is level access. There is a permanent ramp. Some display information is low, for wheelchair users. There are seats.

Due to the sunlight coming through the stained-glass windows, light levels can vary inside the Cathedral especially in some of the chapels and in the North and South Quire Aisles where there is less light.

If you need a quiet place to sit for a while you are very welcome to do so, and we recommend the St Thomas and St Edmund’s Chapel in the North Transept. The chapels can be accessed via a removable ramp.

Signage to the toilets, shop and Refectory is clear, but if you need any assistance please do ask one of the Cathedral guides or staff who will be very happy to help.

The Morning Chapel

From the main entrance to this area, there is level access. Some display information is low, for wheelchair users.

The Trinity Chapel

From the main entrance to this area, there is level access. There is a permanent ramp. Some display information is low, for wheelchair users. There are seats.

The Library

From the main entrance to this area, there are 37 steps. There is no lift and no ramp.

Some display information is low, for wheelchair users. There are seats.

There are 37 stone spiral steps up into the library. 

The Tower Tour

From the main entrance to this area, there are 332 steps. There is no lift and no ramp.

The tower tour is suitable for people with good mobility. 

Public toilet

Public Toilets off the Cathedral Cloisters

There is a public toilet for disabled visitors.

From the main entrance to the public toilet, there is level access.

There are two disabled access toilets which are for the sole use of people with disabilities, visible or hidden.  These are located by the main toilets and accessed off the East Cloister.

 

Shop

The Cathedral Shop

From the main entrance to the shop, there is level access. There is a permanent ramp.

The Cathedral has a shop with a superb range of souvenirs, gifts and books.  The shop can be accessed directly from the main entrance and from the Refectory. It is level throughout with suitable space for those using a wheelchair. There are tall display racks and low units accessible from a seated position.  Shop staff are always available to offer assistance where required.

Place to eat and drink

The Refectory

From the main entrance to the dining area, there is level access. There is a permanent ramp. To get to a table, there are no steps.

The dining area is self-service. If you need table service, staff can help you.

There is no background music.

We cater for sugar free (diabetic), vegetarian, gluten free (celiacs), lactose free (dairy free), nut free, low fat and vegan specific diets.

REFECTORY CAFE

The Cathedral Refectory café has a ramped access with an automatic opening door. You can also access the Refectory via the Cathedral shop. The Refectory is level throughout with good access to the food and drink available.

Tables and chairs can be moved easily if you need to create better access or room for a wheelchair and children’s seating is available.

The food on offer is clearly labelled and we cater for vegetarians, vegans and those who have gluten or nut allergies.  Allergen sheets for all the dishes made are available upon request.  With prior notice the Refectory can cater for other allergies.

The Chapter House

From the main entrance to this area, there is level access. The door is 1200mm wide.

Entrance to The Chapter House is located off the East Cloister.  Access is via an automatic door. 

The Cathedral Close

From the main entrance to this area, there is level access. There is a permanent ramp.

Accessibility equipment

We provide wheelchairs. Wheelchairs are free.

We have a hearing loop in during services and some events .

Two disabled toilets are located off the East Cloister inside the Cathedral.

You can hire mobility equipment from Salisbury Shopmobility by calling 01722 328068.

Emergency evacuation procedures

We have emergency evacuation procedures for disabled visitors.

Customer care support

Some staff have disability awareness training.

We have information in large print.

We have other services for people with accessibility requirements.

ACCESS VOLUNTEERS AND GUIDES

We offer assistance for people who experience mobility or sensory impairments or who have disabilities. We have an excellent team of volunteers and guides to assist visitors around the Cathedral. There is no charge for this service.

In order to ensure that there is a volunteer or guide available please book at least two weeks in advance by telephone on 01722 555120

When on site a member of staff is always close at hand to offer you any assistance required. 

Access Champion

Leigh Chalmers is the Cathedral’s Access Champion and Outreach Project Manager.  If you have any questions or queries about access or, if you are a community group and require a tour to suit a particular need(s) please contact visitors@salcath.co.uk or 01722 555120 (Monday - Friday, office hours only) or contact Leigh directly  

 01722 555168. 

Please contact the Donations Desk at weekends and on bank holidays:

01722 555156