Derby Cathedral
ENTRY
Free
SETTING
Indoors
WHERE
Derby
What it’s like
Free to walk round, with a tower tour worth booking and monuments that'll keep older kids busy for a bit.
Wandering round on your own costs nothing and you can do it at your own pace, looking at the monuments and picking through the local history that's dotted about inside. It's not a hands-on kind of visit, so it suits kids who'll actually stop and read a plaque rather than ones who need something to climb.
The tower tour is the bit worth planning for. It has to be booked ahead by emailing the cathedral directly, and it's not free: £8 for an adult and £3 a child, which is fair enough for a guided walk round but does mean checking the diary rather than just turning up. If your visit lands on a concert or recital day, those run about 45 minutes and some are ticketed while others are free.
Opening hours shift about through the week, closing earlier on Fridays and Saturdays than the rest of the days, and Bank Holidays are a shorter 10 to 4 window. The building itself is step-free and wheelchair accessible, with an accessible toilet on site, though parking is the weak point: there's disabled parking at the West End but only a handful of spaces and they can't promise you'll get one.
A general wander round doesn't need much time at all, but if you catch a concert or book the tower tour you'll want to build in a bit longer.
Facilities
Need to know
- Best for
- Kids who like history and monuments over hands-on play
- Parking
- Disabled parking at West End, limited spaces, cannot be guaranteed
- How long to allow
- Flexible. Concerts are 45 minutes
- Wheelchairs
- Wheelchair hire available. Wheelchair-accessible building
- The tower tour has to be booked ahead by email, not on the door
- Opening hours vary by day, and Bank Holidays are a shorter 10 to 4
- Some concerts and recitals are ticketed, others are free, so timing matters
- Disabled parking spaces at the West End are limited and can't be guaranteed
Plan your visit
How much does it cost to get in?
Getting in and looking round is free. The guided tower tour is the paid bit, £8 for an adult and £3 for a child.
Do we need to book anything?
General visits, no. The tower tour does need booking in advance by emailing the cathedral team.
What is there for kids to actually do?
It's mostly monuments and local history to look at, plus the option of a guided tower tour or catching a concert or recital if the timing works out.
Is it OK for pushchairs or wheelchairs?
Yes, it's step-free and wheelchair accessible throughout, with an accessible toilet and wheelchair hire on site.
What about parking?
There's disabled parking at the West End but only limited spaces, so it can't be guaranteed.
How long should we plan for?
A basic look round is flexible and can be quick, but concerts run about 45 minutes and the tower tour will add more time on top.
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