Skip to main content
Contact us Submit an event listing
Visit Medway Web Logo Visit Medway
  • Plan Your Visit
    • Travelling to Medway
    • Itinerary Ideas
    • Attraction Listings
    • What's On Event Listings
    • Car Free Days around Medway
    • Places to Stay
    • Accommodation
    • Hotels
    • Bed & Breakfast
    • Self-catering and Holiday Park
    • Support Services for Visitors & Coach Groups
    • Parking in Medway
    • Weather and Tide Times
    • Medway's Breathtaking Wedding Venues
  • Things To Do
    • Our Destinations
    • Find Attractions
    • Dickensian Medway
    • Castles and Forts
    • Military and Maritime
    • Natural Landscape & Open Spaces
    • River Medway
    • Houses of History
    • Get Active
    • Rochester Castle
    • Rochester Cathedral
    • Eastgate House & Gardens
    • Guildhall Museum
    • The Historic Dockyard Chatham
    • Upnor Castle
    • Royal Engineers Museum
    • Medway Aircraft Preservation Society
    • Wings Over the River Medway
    • Fort Amherst
    • Huguenot Museum
    • The Lena Kennedy Shack
    • Shopping & Markets
    • Food & Drink
    • Blogs & Features
    • Events, shows & exhibitions
    • River trips
    • Walking tours
    • Costumed Guided Tours
    • The Rochester Trail
  • What's On
    • What's On in 2025
    • Call the Midwife Official Tour 2025
    • Rochester Sweeps Festival 2025

    Armed Forces Day at the Historic Dockyard Chatham coming this June

    DSCF5390

    Click here for a full list of festivals & events in Medway.

    • Medway's Major Events
    • Submit an event listing
    • What's on at the Theatres
  • Cultural & Creative
    • Medway Arts Tours - Costumed Character Tours
    • Stephen Moriarty Artist - Costumed Tours of Rochester
    • The Central Theatre
    • The Riverside Gallery at Sun Pier House
    • Halpern Pop Gallery
    • Nucleus Arts Chatham
    • Intra Arts Chatham
  • Itinerary Ideas
    • Medway's Breathtaking Wedding Venues
    • Medway's Military Marvels
    • Magnificent Craft Ales & Micropubs
    • Car Free Days around Medway

    Check out our blogs and features for itinerary ideas and inspiration

    • Dickensian Medway
    • History & Heritage
    • Castles & Forts
    • Military & Maritime
    • Natural Landscape & Open Spaces
    • Houses of History
    • River Medway
  • Getting Married In Medway

Search our site

Visit Medway Web Logo Visit Medway
Plan Your Visit Things To Do What's On Cultural & Creative Itinerary Ideas Getting Married In Medway
Terms & Conditions Cookies Accessibility Privacy Contact Us Site Map
  1. Home
  2. See and do
  3. Find Attractions
  4. Rochester Cathedral
rochester-crypt-6-1-.jpg

Rochester Cathedral

Web Links Location Pricing Local station Rochester Times
Heritage and Gardens

Experience a spiritual moment in Rochester Cathedral and visit a spectacular church that has been celebrating Christian worship since 604AD. The history and heritage of Rochester Cathedral is boasted in its stunning architecture. Its walls hum with the prayer of thousands of years. It is the spiritual home of Rochester and one that shouldn't be missed. Walk through the pages of history in this beautiful building. 

History

Rochester Cathedral is England's second oldest, founded by Bishop Justus. The present building dates back to the work of the French monk Bishop Gundulf in 1083. The glorious Norman architecture of the nave, parts of the crypt, as well as one of the finest Romanesque facades in England.

The Cathedral is blessed with some fine examples of later Gothic styles as well as the magnificent 14th century Chapter Library door. Hidden from view (although it can be viewed by special appointment) is one of the oldest doors in England.

The Cathedral became a major place of pilgrimage in the 13th Century, following the death of William of Perth, a Scottish baker who was murdered nearby. His body was brought to the Cathedral and at his shrine, of which no trace remains, miracles were reported.  Modern pilgrims who journey to the Cathedral still climb the Pilgrim Steps, now worn by the many thousands of medieval pilgrims visiting the shrine, often lighting candles at the William of Perth prayer-station in front of the oratory. Visitors who journey to the Cathedral today are direct descendants of those early pilgrims.

Collections and Exhibitions

The cathedral collections comprise thousands of features and artefacts from the 8th to the 21st Centuries

After highly skilled renovations, Rochester Cathedral proudly reveals its beautifully refurbished mediaeval crypt housing Rochester’s Mystery Book Exhibition: Textus Roffensis is the only existing copy of the first code of English law and was written in Rochester during the early 1120s. It has been described as one of the most important documents in English history and influenced the wording of Magna Carta of 1215.

Discover the Cathedral Library via a magnificent 14th Century door, where an outstanding collection of rare and historic books, manuscripts, photographs and lantern slides, some dating from the 12th Century, is housed. 

Guided Tours

The Cathedral offers regular guided tours which can be booked online. Alongside our standard 60-minute tour we also offer specialist tours on occasion. Charges apply. Find out about our upcoming tours here. Guided Tours — Rochester Cathedral

Guided tours may be available at other times with prior booking. To find out more email [email protected] or call 01634 843366

Events

The cathedral hosts regular events as well as services open to the public for worship. See the website for details.

The cathedral has a cafe located in the medieval crypt. 

Crypt Photography © olleydesign.co.uk

rochester-crypt-6-1-.jpg
dr-40_wheel-of_fortune01.jpg
dr-cathedral_front.jpg
dr-img_0376-2-.jpg
textus_roffensis_0247.jpg

Pricing

Free. Donations welcome

Open Map

Address

Rochester Cathedral The Precinct Rochester Kent
ME1 1SX

Contact

[email protected] 01634 810073

Links

  • Website

Opening Times

Open for visitors and worshippers (no pre-booking required) 10am – 4pm Monday – Saturday 1pm – 3pm Sunday On occasion Rochester Cathedral does close for large events and services. Please check before travelling.

Audio tours
Coaches welcome
Gift shop
Groups welcome
Guide Dogs, Hearing Dogs and Registered Assistance Dogs welcome
Guided tours
Restaurant / Cafe / Tea shop
Medcouncil Cmykstrapline
Visit Medway
Official website of Visit Medway, Medway Council
Our other sites

Visit Medway B2B Hub Enjoy Medway What's On Medway Tickets Live Medway Council Adobe Acrobat Reader Google Maps
Our Destinations

Rochester Chatham Gillingham
Terms & Conditions Cookies Accessibility Privacy Contact Us Site Map
Official website of Visit Medway, Medway Council