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View from: The top of Hull Minster

On a clear day, you can stand at the top of Hull Minster tower and see all the way to North Lincolnshire on the south bank of the River Humber. Turn north-eastward, and you could see Spurn Point on the East Yorkshire coast; look north and you might be able to spot Beverley Minster.

If you’ve got a head for heights, and you’re not fazed by the prospect of climbing a couple of hundred steep, medieval steps, you’re in for a treat.

Guided Tower Tours run fortnightly at Hull Minster, at 5pm, 6pm, 7pm and 8pm. The next available dates are July 19, August 9, August 23, September 6, September 20 and October 11. Tours can be arranged at other times of year by appointment.

If you check sunset times when you visit, you might even be able to time your tour to coincide with a sunset over Hull’s Old Town, or an atmospheric twilight view of the marina and rivers.

James Symonds, events coordinator at Hull Minster, says the Tower Tours provide an unrivalled perspective on Hull. “It’s the tallest public-access building in the city,” he says.

With the viewing platform at 150ft above the ground, you get a unique perspective from the 13th-century minster.

Each Tower Tour begins with a warm welcome, a talk about the minster’s history and a health and safety briefing. The halfway mark of the climb takes you past Hull Minster’s clock mechanism, bells and carillion bells.

Sounding every 15 minutes, be sure to stop, listen and see if you can work out what tune the bells are playing.

Steve says: “We control the carillion bells via a keyboard. The music reacts to the news, for example, when Carrie Fisher died, we played the Star Wars theme tune in memory of her. We’ve played the Harry Potter music in the past, and we’re currently playing Mozart’s Canon in D Major. It always gets people talking.”

If you’re lucky, you may even see – and hear – them in action.

After the halfway point, another 100-plus steps take you up to the rooftop viewing platform at the very top of Hull Minster, where you can soak up those breathtaking views. Enjoy.

  • Tickets cost £4/£5 for the tour only; £7/£8 for the tour, plus drinks and cake in the minster’s café.
  • Please note that children must be aged 10 or over to take a Tower Tour, and under-17s must be accompanied by an adult.