Visit England’s second oldest Cathedral

Rochester Cathedral was founded in AD 604. Every year we welcome thousands of visitors and worshippers through our doors.

Opening Hours

10am – 4pm Monday – Saturday

1pm – 3pm Sunday

On occasion, Rochester Cathedral is closed for large events or services. Please check for any upcoming closures here

January 2024 - Our shop will be temporarily closed. We hope to open it again in the not so distant future

Getting Here

Rochester Cathedral is very well connected by car, train and bus. Did you know we are only 35 minutes from Central London by train? Find out how to get to us here.

What's On

Find out about our upcoming events here at Rochester Cathedral. We have a busy programme of concerts, exhibitions and activities.

Services at Rochester Cathedral

Find out about services and worship on-site and online at Rochester Cathedral.

Café in the Crypt

Rochester Cathedral’s Café in our Medieval Crypt

Rochester Cathedral - west front and catalpa tree.jpg

Upcoming Closures

Rochester Cathedral is a working church and we often close at short notice for services and civic occasions. Unless otherwise stated, services will continue to take place during closures.

Please check this page before visiting.

Shop Online

Help support Rochester Cathedral by visiting our online shop

Cathedral Map

Download a map of the Cathedral to help you plan your visit.

Download map

Accessibility

There is access for wheelchairs through the North door into the Nave. There are WCs for people with disabilities in the Cathedral (by the South Door).

Please be aware that the Cathedral is a medieval building. Areas of the Cathedral have low lighting and uneven flooring.

For further information on Cathedral access, please see our Access Statement.

Visit our Access Guide on AccessAble [External Link] for more detailed information

Photography

Photography is allowed for personal use only. Photography for publication requires permission. Please contact the Cathedral for further details.

Photography, video or mobile phone recording is not allowed during services or rehearsals for services and concerts. We ask that visitors respect this sacred space and turn off their mobile phones during such times.

Security

The safety and security of our visitors are of the upmost importance to us at Rochester Cathedral.

All our Verger team have attended security training including counter terrorism. Our Welcoming team have also attended training ensuring we keep our visitors safe. We have a great relationship with the local police who regularly include us on their patrols. Trained Security guards are often in attendance during evening events.

Extensive CCTV is in operation throughout Rochester Cathedral.

Please note bags can not be left unattended at Rochester Cathedral.

Stay Alert

Help us keep everyone safe by staying alert and reporting anything which doesn’t seem right straight away to a member of staff, or to the police. You won’t be wasting anyone’s time and you’ll be helping us keep everyone safe.