Great St Mary's

Beautiful Anglican Cathedral This is an iconic Church in the hypercentre of Cambridge. It sits right in front of Cambridge market and next to some of the top colleges. The building is beautiful and is historical dating back a few centuries. To be noted this is a great place also to climb up the stairs to get a view of Cambridge town centre. You can buy tickets in advance but you can also get them here too.

Reasonable sized church in the middle of Cambridge, which is free to enter, however to go up the bell tower it is £7.50. Outside the church is the very touristy area of Cambridge, so stepping inside for some peace and tranquility is much appreciated. Lovely stained glass windows and high ceilings make the church fairly impressive, although it doesn't take too long to see everything.

One of the highlights building in Cambridge. It's very impressive construction, but the tower stands out. You have to climb the one hundred twenty seven steps to admire the vest overview of the city. The only 'but' could be that you have to pay almost nine euros to do it.

The Church of St Mary the Great, often called Great St Mary’s, is one of the most important and historic churches in Cambridge. It stands right in the heart of the city, next to the marketplace and opposite the Senate House of the University of Cambridge. The church dates back to the 15th century in its current form, though there was a parish church on the site much earlier. It has long been tied to the University of Cambridge, serving as the official university church. For centuries, major university ceremonies and sermons were held here, making it central to academic life. Architecturally, it is a beautiful example of late Gothic style, with a tall tower that dominates the city center. Visitors can climb the tower, which offers one of the best panoramic views of Cambridge—the colleges, the market square, and even the countryside beyond. Inside, you’ll find elegant wooden galleries, a fine organ, and striking stained-glass windows.

Well worth a visit to see peaceful inside and to climb tower for great 360 views of city centre and beyond.

Great St Mary's is the historic University Church, offering the definitive Cambridge experience from the ground and—crucially—from above. While its interior is rich with academic history, the unparalleled reason to visit is the tower climb. For a small fee, the 123-step ascent rewards you with the city's best 360-degree panorama, placing every famous college spire and court in perfect, orienteering relationship below you. It is the single most effective way to comprehend Cambridge's legendary layout. My strong advice is to make this climb your first major activity. Use the view to plan your day, spotting the Bridge of Sighs, the Senate House, and the sheer scale of King's College. Afterwards, explore the church itself, noting its role as the ceremonial heart of the University. While King's Chapel inspires awe from within, Great St Mary's provides the essential external context. Time your visit to avoid the steeple's occasional closure, and wear comfortable shoes for the narrow spiral staircase. This combination of lofty perspective and grounded history makes it an indispensable, non-negotiable stop that frames your entire visit.

Was walking passed and saw a sign to climb up the tower, so I was sold. 123 steps gets you to the top where you get amazing views from one of the tallest buildings in Cambridge.

This is a beautiful historical building which is worth exploring. The entrance to the church is free. You can buy tickets to enter the tower (£6 pp) and enjoy a magnificent 360 view of the city. We totally recommend doing that as this is the best viewpoint in Cambridge. The views are stunning. Going up to the tower is via a tiny old stone staircase, it gives you that 'adventure' feel. We suggest coming here early in the morning, right after opening, as the tower can get pretty busy during the day, especially during weekends.

The interior of the church is nice, with the most remarkable being a first edition King James Bible. The real draw, though, is the view from up top. It is 123 steps up (usual narrow round U.K. church steps), but the views are worth it. Definitely worth the views.

Known as the University Church, Great St Mary's dominates Cambridge's ancient market place. There was a church here in mediaeval times, but the present building dates from a thorough reconstruction, financed by Royal donations, between 1478 1536, although the tower was not finally completed until 1608. The interior has a nave with a tall, Perpendicular clerestory to the nave, and its original wooden roof, donated by Henry VII. This has large and elaborate ceiling bosses, although they are hard to discern from the ground. (Gilding might work wonders). Beyond that, there is little of interest, except perhaps for the curious gilded reredos, depicting Christ in Majesty, by Alan Durst. But the best reason for a visit is its 35m high tower, which is open to the public and can be climbed for a small fee (£2.50). It gives a superb view of the centre of Cambridge and its central colleges.

It's worth the price of admission 2.50 L to enter the tower steps. Amazing breathtaking views that give you an entirely different perspective of Cambridge. Warning : it was high, but very safe! Not for those that have a fear of small space or those with weak joints. Enjoy!!

Wonderful church located near the center of Cambridge across the street from King's college. It is free to enter and walk around. There is a small fee to climb the tower. The posted pictures look very nice. A little pressed for time so did not climb up the tower but worth a stop.

Before you get all offended that I just gave the "Great" St. Mary's Church a 3-star review (actually more like 3.5 stars), let me just note that this is mainly a review for the tower in the church. I walked by St. Mary's a zillion times without ever knowing that you could climb the tower and catch a great view of Cambridge. Admission into the church is free, but they charge a small fee to climb the tower. The climb is up a very, VERY narrow and seemingly endless flight of old stone steps that are in spiral motion. This tower is OLD. I would advise not to climb the tower if you are either a) claustrophobic, b) afraid of heights, or c) are slow going up steps, because you will hold everyone up since the climb is so narrow. Once you reach the top, you can take in the view of the town and get some great pictures as well. I loved being able to get a bird's eye view of Market Square, as well as seeing the curvy roads from high up. And yep, same way going down as you came up!

The church itself is nice enough, but nothing special (especially with King's College Chapel right next door); however, climb to the top of the tower and you are rewarded with possibly the best view in Cambridge. The tower does not actually look particularly high from the ground, but Cambridge is so flat and the buildings generally so low, you can see most of the city - the colleges to the east and south, the airfield to the west and Castle Hill to the north. The narrow winding staircase on the way up, just adds to the sense of excitement.