Historic Graffiti Tour of Southwark Cathedral

Discover the hidden writing and drawings on the walls of the Cathedral

Medieval and historic graffiti can be found in churches, cathedrals, and other buildings all over the country, but did you know there are examples in Southwark Cathedral?

Join us on a 1.5 hour tour of the graffiti examples right here in Southwark Cathedral led by graffiti researcher Crystal Hollis. 

Learn how to find graffiti and what they tell us about the people of the past! Following the tour there will be time for questions and discussion of all things historic graffiti in a local pub.

We recommend you bring a small torch or ensure your mobile phone has a flashlight installed.

Please meet at the Cathedral Entrance off Montague Close in the Millennium Courtyard.

Crystal Hollis has spent the last eight years staring at walls and deciphering their stories. Now, as a PhD student at the University of Exeter, she specialises primarily in church graffiti and how it relates to the social culture of the past. Her previous work includes the discovery of medieval inscriptions in a transplanted chapel in the USA, and in-depth looks at graffiti in Southwark Cathedral, Exeter Cathedral, and several churches in Suffolk and London.