St. Paul’s Cathedral Triforium Tour
Every year, St. Paul’s cathedral welcomes huge numbers of visitors. All walk down the nave to marvel at the scale of the dome, home to the famous Whispering Gallery.
Most make the climb to the top of the cathedral to enjoy the unrivalled views of London.
More St. Paul’s Cathedral posts:
Another Side of St. Paul’s Cathedral
There is another side of the cathedral that anyone can visit, which you can see hints of if you look carefully.
As the visitors zoom up the first spiral staircase, about two thirds of the way up they’ll pass a door. That is the first clue.
Looking down from the Golden Gallery, the highest publicly accessible point on top of the dome, there are two flat roofs either side of the nave’s roof. That is the second clue.
The third clue is back down at ground level, close to the entrance where the are large windows high up the walls.
Visitors to the cathedral discover what lies behind these clues if they go on the Triforium Tour. Tickets are booked on the St. Paul’s website as an add-on to the main ticket and are very popular so advance booking is essential. Booking in advance also gives a discount on the entry tickets.
The Geometric Staircase
Familiar to Harry Potter fans as The Devination Stairwell in the films, the Geometric Staircase is a breath-taking architectural wonder as it climbs up the inside of the South West Bell Tower, each stone step resting on the previous.
The picture with the red border is a 360 virtual tour which works like Google Street View.
The Nave
From high above the Great West Door, an open platform gives an unobstructed bird’s eye view down the nave to the dome.
The Great Model
Dating from 1673, The Great Model was built by Sir Christopher Wren to visualise an earlier proposal for the design of St. Paul’s Cathedral based upon a Greek Cross. The model is huge with plenty of detail to appreciate what might of been.
A visitor photographing the Great Model through the door.
The Great Model is located in the room to the right (North) of the nave as seen when looking down from the Golden Gallery. From the ground, the Great Model is located behind the third window from the right on the first, or Triforium, floor (second floor for Americans).
The Library
The library, as of 2023, has been closed for refurbishment since 2018 which prevents the tour from entering through the locked doors.
When looking down from the Golden Gallery, the Triforium’s library is the roof to the left (South) of the nave.
“Faciendi plures libros nullus est finis” which translates from Latin to Engish as “There is no end to making more books” according to Google Translate
Miscellany
Around the Triforium there are so many interesting objects dotted around the floor.
Posts About Churches
Kilburn Tin Tabernacle Church
Gaia at Southwark Cathedral
City of London Churches 360 Virtual Tours
The Geometric Staircase at St Paul’s Cathedral
The Dome of Methodist Central Hall, Westminster
Whitechapel Bell Foundry
St Mary’s Church, Harrow-on-the-Hill
