THE Guild of Guides at Winchester Cathedral has marked its golden anniversary. 

Guided tours have been a feature at Winchester Cathedral since World War II but it wasn’t until 1974 that Winchester Cathedral Guild of Voluntary Guides was founded in order to improve and regulate the training of all guides.

All guides are easily recognisable by their distinctive red collars, with guided tours taking place throughout the day.

Special tours, which give greater insights to aspects of the cathedral are also undertaken by the guides – these include stained glass, architecture, the Winchester diver and many more topics. Tours can also be offered in foreign languages for pre-booked groups.

A guide at Winchester Cathedral in the Crypt A guide at Winchester Cathedral in the Crypt (Image: Winchester Cathedral)

Today there are 140 guides and the The Guild of Guides trains new ones every year.

Jeannie Berridge, guides section head, said: "Guiding at Winchester Cathedral is an incredibly rewarding thing to do.

"We all work in teams so it is a supportive and social volunteer community. Every guide has a great love and knowledge of the cathedral. The most pleasurable part of being a guide is the interaction with the visitors and our aim is always to make their visit more enjoyable."

For more information on becoming a guide, email sarah.williams@winchester-cathedral.org.uk