A Rare Opportunity to Photograph Inside London’s St Paul’s Cathedral
No longer available for 2017: There is a rare opportunity for visitors to photograph the interior of London’s St Paul’s Cathedral between 6:30 pm and 9 pm (last entry 8:15 pm) on the evenings of :-
- Thursday 27th July 2017
- Thursday 10th August 2017
- Thursday 17th August 2017
- Thursday 24th August 2017
- Friday 25th August 2017
- Monday 28th August 2017
- Thursday 31st August 2017
This is for hand-held non-commercial photography only and the upper galleries will be closed for the evening.
For those without cameras suitable for low-light conditions, the early evening may present the best opportunity.
For more information, ticket prices and booking in advance please click-on Summer Lates ⇒
—————————————————————
For a preview (photographs from 2015) and general admission, please click-on St Paul’s Cathedral ⇐ .
For permits and commercial photography/filming, please see here ⇒.
Enjoy.
Westminster Cathedral
Westminster Cathedral (Wiki) ⇒ was built in the Byzantine style and completed in 1903. It is free to enter and photography is allowed, although perhaps best to avoid when used for Mass ⇒. The Cathedral is on Victoria Street, very near to London’s Victoria Station.
Westminster Cathedral should not be confused with Westminster Abbey ⇒ which is much older (1089 AD). The Abbey is worth seeing but does charge for entry and does not allow photography.
The lower part of the Cathedral is very ornate but the upper ceiling and walls are bare dark brick. I found it best not to look.
There is a small museum of religious regalia and a lift up the tower to a viewing platform. There is a small charge for each of these extras, paid for at the Cathedral shop.
Inside Westminster Cathedral
Westminster Cathedral Museum
Westminster Cathedral View from the Tower
There are views in every direction from the tower. I thought this one, to the East, was the best. One can see the Palace of Westminster ⇐ in the centre and just beyond is the Shard of Glass. There is a tremendous view from the top of The Shard ⇒ but they do charge (it is worth looking for the online and half-day saver tickets).
Westminster Abbey (the white building with two towers) is just to the left of the tallest crane. The tall brown building is Transport for London which is not presently open to the public (information thanks to comments by Simon J Kyte).
Canterbury Cathedral
17 Pics. Canterbury Cathedral ⇒ was founded in 597 by Augustine and enlarged during the 11th and 12th centuries. The cathedral became notable when archbishop Thomas Becket ⇒ was murdered there by followers of Henry II. Becket was later cannonised as a martyr and Canterbury became a place of pilgrimage.
Canterbury became yet more famous when Chaucer wrote The Canterbury Tales ⇒ in 1386.
The cathedral is not so greatly ornate as St Paul’s Cathedral ⇐ but it is an extraordinary sight. There is a charge for entry so please see the website ⇒.
.
The gate to the cathedral precincts.
.
.
Cathedral Entrance
.
The entrance leads into the Nave and one is struck by the huge size and antiquity of the cathedral. The ability to construct on this scale without the assistance of modern technology is awe inspiring.
Looking back from the far end of the Nave.
Continuing further there is the entrance to the Quire and Trinity Chapel.
.
.
Some of the stained glass along the way.
The Quire and Trinity Chapel.
.
The tomb of Archbishop Chichelle. There are many tombs in the cathedral including Henry IV and Edward the Black Prince. Archbishop Chicelle is the most ornate. Thomas Becket was buried beneath Trinity Chapel but his bones were destroyed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the reign of Henry VIII .
.
.
It seems that graffiti is nothing new, although it is always worth taking a close look in old churches and buildings for Witch Marks ⇒, which are not quite as they sound.
AND don’t miss out on the Cloisters with their extraordinary ceilings (I did). They are at the back of the cathedral. Here are some Google pictures ⇒ .
Thanks for visiting Freed From Time and there are a lot venues at About Canterbury ⇐.
30+ Attractions on London’s South Bank
Here there are more than 30 places to visit on London’s South Bank and more than 40 additional places to visit, in and around London, shown in this sites Gallery ⇐, most of which can be photographed.
South Bank Attractions
This ⇐ indicates a click-on link to a photographic article with a further link to the location’s website.
This ⇒ indicates a direct link to the location’s website.
Locations can be found on this Google Map where one can enter the name of a location in the Search box and/or click-on + to magnify.
Several Miles East of Bankside
Fabulous Maritime Greenwich ⇐ includes extensive parklands,
several free venues, numerous photographic opportunities, the Fan Museum, the Naval College Painted Hall and Chapel, the National Maritime Museum, the Royal Observatory, the Planetarium, the Cutty Sark, craft market, a comedy club, theatre, picturehouse, numerous eateries and a notable history.
The most straightforward travel route is by use of the Docklands Light Railway to the “Cutty Sark for Maritime Greenwich” station. Alternatively the DLR to Deptford then the No 53 bus to the top gardens (saves walking up the hill)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
. . . . . .
.
.
.
.
.
.
Just East of Bankside
Tower Bridge Exhibition ⇐ 
⇒. Visit inside to see the architecture, machinery and high level views including the glass floor.
Nearest station is Tower Hill.
.
.
.
.
and the The Tower of London ⇐ ⇒. on the North Bank, includes 
walking the battlements, the White Tower (armaments and armour) The Fusiliers Museum, Royal Chapel and Crown Jewels. You can photograph for non-commercial purposes everything except the last two.
Nearest station is Tower Hill.
.
.
Back to the South Bank and the nearest station to the following venues is London Bridge.
.
HMS Belfast ⇒. Access is from the 
South Bank. The easiest way to get there is the walkway at the corner Morgan’s Lane (see Google map) near London Bridge station.
View what life was like on board for the crew at war and at sea from WW2 to 1963. Best to check the website/contact for photographic opportunity inside the ship.
.
.
London Bridge City Pier ⇒. Boat trips to/from North Greenwich (east) and Embankment (west).
.
The Shard Viewing Platform ⇒. At the top of the tallest building
in the European Union. It can be expensive but, according to their website there is “no time restriction on your stay”.
.
.
.
.
.
London Bridge Experience ⇒. Billed as the UK’s scariest year round attraction, complete with tombs.
.
Southwark Cathedral ⇐ ⇒. A site of worship for more than a
thousand years, it has some extraordinary stained glass and a curious legend attached. It is free to enter and an amateur photographer’s permit can be obtained from the cathedral shop for £2.50. The cathedral is in continuous use, so do check the link (and on to the website) for the times of services.
.
.
.
The Clink Prison Museum ⇒. Built upon the original site of the Clink
Prison (1144) and gave all other prisons their pseudonym. Do see the link for opening times.
.
.
.
.
.
Along Bankside
The Golden Hinde II ⇒. A replica of Sir Frances Drake’s ship. The 
original was used to circumnavigate the globe between 1577 and 1580. Available for fun and interactive tours.
.
.
.
.
.
Anchor Pub ⇒. From where you can get a first view of St Paul’s 
Cathedral across the Thames. A tavern has been on this site for more than 800 years and was rebuilt in 1676 after being destroyed in the Great Fire of London.
.
.
.
.
.
The Rose Playhouse ⇒. The first Elizabethan theatre on Bankside and 
continues to entertain audiences today. Please see the website link for “Whats on” .
.
.
.
.
.
The Globe Theatre ⇒. A replica of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre just
a few hundred yards from where the original stood. The theatre provides tours, exhibitions and plays. Please see the website link for opening times, available options and “Whats on”.
.
.
.
.
Millennium Bridge ⇒(Wiki). That’s the one that, as soon as it was 
opened, had to be closed for two years to fix the alarming swaying motion and was known to Londoner’s as the “wobbly bridge”. It is now used extensively by pedestrians and is a convenient means of passage between the South Bank and St Paul’s Cathedral.
.
.
.
.
St Paul’s Cathedral ⇐ ⇒. Although this is on the North Bank, it is
but a short walk across the footbridge. There is a charge for admission and there are only a few days each year when photography is allowed. It does have some extraordinary architecture and decor, There are many more photographs attached to the above link.
.
.
.
.
South Bank Street Performers mostly in the vicinity of the footbridge.
.
and often includes a Bubbleer more pictures ⇐. 
.
.
.
.
.
.
The Tate Modern ⇐ ⇒. is a large modern art gallery very close to the
footbridge on the South Bank. There are a great variety of works including some of political history and ideology. It is free to enter and you may photograph for non-commercial purposes.
.
.
.
.
Near to The Tate Modern and Millenium Footbridge ⇓.
Bankside Gallery ⇒. An educational charity of the Royal Watercolour Society and the Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers. Artwork is also for sale.
Purdy Hicks⇒. Art Dealers .
Nearer to The London Eye (Giant Ferrris Wheel) and nearest underground station is Waterloo ⇓
National Theatre ⇒. Whats on.
Hayward Gallery⇒ . Closed for two years from October 2015 for essential repairs..
Queen Elizabeth Hall⇒. Closed for two years from October 2015 for essential repairs.
South Bank Centre⇒ , A variety of events and festivals dedicated to the arts.
London Wonderground⇒ . Circus, cabaret, fairground and family entertainment.
London Eye ⇒. Giant Ferris Wheel (as seen from St James Park 
on the north side of the Thames).
.
.
.
.
.
Between the London Eye and Westminster Bridge ⇓
The London Dungeon⇒ . “We are a thrill-filled journey through London’s murky past. You get 110 minutes of laughs, scares, theatre, shocks, rides, special effects, characters, jokes, mazes and storytelling”.
Shrek’s Adventure ⇒. “Join Donkey on his magical 4D flying bus before journeying through 10 interactive live shows in a walk and ride madcap adventure”.
Westminster Palace ⇐ ⇒. As seen from the South Bank across 
Westminster Bridge. The link leads to information about tours inside the Palace.
.
.
.
.
West of Westminster Bridge on the South Bank ⇓
Florence Nightingale Museum ⇒.
Garden Museum ⇒. at Lambeth.
Tate Britain ⇐ ⇒. On the North Bank but only a short walk over Vauxhall Bridge. The Tate Britain houses a quite large collection of classical works and modern pieces.
Freed From Time 