Bury St Edmunds cathedral tower tour: Everything you need to know

Last week I tackled the 202 step hike up the cathedral tower in Bury St Edmunds, with the promise of breathtaking views across the historic town.

In July this year, St Edmundsbury Cathedral marked the 17th anniversary of when the Millennium Tower Project was completed.

Tours of the cathedral tower resumed in April - here is everything you need to know if you are thinking about going on one.

Are the views from the cathedral tower worth it?

Now 202 steps might not sound like a lot, but I can assure you in the heat of summer a narrow spiral staircase, with a step ladder thrown in for good measure, they are hard work - though admittedly I am not the fittest person in the world.

Luckily on the way to the top of the tower we stopped off to look down inside the beautiful cathedral tower and then admire the impressive vaulted ceiling.

Thanks to our friendly tour guides Jane and Steve, we safely reached the top - and yes the views were worth it.

As you would imagine the Bury St Edmunds skyline is amazing - and when you are that high up in the air everything seems so close.

What can you see from the cathedral tower?

At the top of the tower, Jane spent time chatting to everyone on the tour sharing her historical knowledge of the town, I was interested to hear about where the workhouses were back in the day.

It was great to be able to spot all of the town's unique landmarks and famous businesses, which all seemed incredibly close when at top of the tower.

From one side you could see the distinctive white chimneys of the Greene King brewery and from the other across the Abbey Gardens, the Sugar Beet cilos that are instantly recognisable to anyone that lives in Bury St Edmunds.

There were plenty of time to take photographs and get my breath back and I didn't feel rushed by the tour guides at all.

How can I book a tour?

Tower tours at St Edmundsbury Cathedral take place every Wednesday at 2pm and every Saturday at 10.30am.

The 75 minute tours, led by friendly volunteers like Steve and Jane, must be booked in advance via the cathedral website and cost £10 per person.

Top tips for the cathedral Tower Tour

Dress for the occasion, I would advise trainers and trousers or shorts.

I naively wore a long dress and had multiple 'Marilyn Monroe moments' from just a slight breeze.

Everyone on the tour has to lock their bags away at the start and you cannot take a drink with you, however cameras and phones are allowed.

Whether you live in Bury St Edmunds or are visiting from further afield I would highly recommend the tower tour.

I grew up here and I still learnt a lot and there are lots of interesting facts you learn along the way - but I don't want to give them all away.

The tour guides were friendly and absolutely knew their stuff - making the tour well worth its £10 price tag.