Blandford Forum Parish Church Roof Tours and Open Days

The church building is only open on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday mornings, so this is a good time to see inside the building. Although we do take tours around the building and into the roof space, this is the only chance you will get of taking one for free! You will get a brief history of the church and a chance to admire the newly repainted and regilded apse ceiling and then will be taken up a small, stone, spiral staircase to the ringing chamber, the clock chamber and then to walk above the nave ceiling in the ‘attic’.

We are also offering tours of the building to specifically look at some of the graffiti that we have discovered dating from the 18th century through World War II up to the present day.

St Peter & St Paul's Church, (Grade 1 Listed) rebuilt following the Great Fire of Blandford in 1731 & reopened in 1739. One of the most important Georgian churches outside London, it is on the Historic England ‘At Risk’ register. Work has been taken to redress this situation; the tower and the cupola have been restored & saved for future generations; the accessibility of the building via the west door has been improved; and now a major repair of the roof has just been completed with funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and others. The work also included internal restoration of the plasterwork and in particular the apse ceiling.

There will be displays linked to the theme of 'Everyday Lives'

Timings

Friday 11 September:

Church open 1000 - 1600. Roof tour at 1100, Graffiti tour at 1230

Saturday 12 September:

Church open 1000 - 1600. Roof tour at 1300, Graffiti tour at 1430

Sunday 13 September:

Church services 0900- 12noon and then building open until 1600

Location & directions

Blandford Forum Parish Church, Church Lane, Blandford Forum, Dorset, DT11 7AD

Directions:

The church does not have car parking, but there is a certain amount of on-street parking and several car parks in Town including a free one on Stour Meadows, and you then walk over the bridge into the town centre

Contact on day:

Sara Loch 07985 090360

Telephone number:

+447985090360

Booking information

Pre-booking requirement:

Pre-booking preferred

Booking conditions:

When booking onto the roof tours please be aware that access is up a narrow, stone spiral staircase and there is a certain amount of clambering up large steps and bending to get through small doorways. The graffiti tours will mainly take place in the body of the church but will also require walking up a narrow, stone spiral staircase but no clambering or bending

Booking contact name:

Sara Loch

Booking telephone number:

+447985090360

Booking email:

[email protected]

Booking opens:

31 Jul 2026 09:00 PM

Booking closes:

13 Sep 2026 12:00 AM

Accessibility details

Please note that this is a “working” church – open access may be restricted. All enquiries to [email protected] Partial Disabled Access. There are 7 levels within the church. Uneven floors.

Additional information

Max number of people:

10

Estimated duration:

1 hour(s)

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