Canterbury Cathedral to open south side of the precincts to visitors for free for six weeks

The grounds of England’s oldest cathedral will welcome visitors for free as part of a six-week trial.

Canterbury Cathedral’s precincts, which usually cost £17 to enter, will be free for visitors until Sunday, March 10.

The trial will test the financial viability of having large areas of the cathedral’s grounds open for free to make the landmark as “accessible to everyone as possible”.

The precincts make up the land around the cathedral and include the Memorial Garden, the Herb Garden and the Chapter House.

Until the trial, which launched yesterday (January 29), visitors had to pay £17 for a standard admission ticket including the precincts - also known as Cathedral Close - and entry into the cathedral itself.

However, for the next six weeks, visitors can explore the south side of the precincts for free. This includes the Memorial Garden, paying tribute to the people of Kent were killed in the First World War.

The Dark Entry, a ‘haunted’ passage that runs below the building, and the Green Court, a picturesque lawn area, are also included in the six-week offer.

Visitors will still have to pay to enter the cathedral building and the north side of the precincts, either by booking online here or paying on the gate.

The offer applies from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Sunday.

It costs almost £30,000 per day to keep the cathedral open to the public, which is why the tourist attraction usually charges an admission fee.

However, there are often complaints that, unlike many other cathedrals around the country, visitors are not able to enter the precincts for free.

The six-week trial will indicate whether the cathedral can still generate enough income to survive without charging for these areas in the future.

It is still free to attend a service of worship at Canterbury Cathedral or to enter the building to pray.