Three Cathedrals. One Day. By Rail. As an American.

22nd September 2026

Three Church of England Cathedrals in One Day Pilgrimage. By Buffy G. Martin.

Buffy, an American visitor managed to get to Guildford, Winchester and Salisbury Cathedrals, all on Friday 14th August 2026. All by rail. This is her journal of the day.

Cathedral is a word that evokes majesty, steadfastness, holiness, awe and even mystery. As an American, I am fortunate to be able to visit England at least once a year, and during those visits, I always ensure a pilgrimage to a Church of England cathedral. To soak up the history, the sacredness and wonder of these remarkable buildings is at the top of my must-see and do list when I’m planning a trip to England. I also have my own spiritual “bucket list” to visit all 42 of the Church of England cathedrals. So far, I have stepped inside the hallowed doors of twenty-three C of E cathedrals, and each has left an enduring impression on me.

When the Association of English Cathedrals released their Pilgrim Passport, I made it a personal mission to collect the stamps of all of the 42 Church of England cathedrals. That would mean making a return to some I’ve visited prior to the Pilgrim Passport’s inception, but it’s hardly an imposition to visit these places again. With the goal of obtaining more cathedral stamps, I embarked upon an ambitious plan to visit three cathedrals in one day during a trip to England in mid-August 2026.

Pre-planning was essential, especially tracking the train routes and times in order to achieve my mission and determining a feasible itinerary. I decided on the following three cathedrals for my three in one day: Guildford, Winchester and Salisbury and the day was to be Friday, August 14, 2026.

Part of my advance planning included reaching out to the three selected cathedrals to ensure they were open for visitors and their opening and closing times. I received immediate feedback from the three cathedrals about their visiting hours, but Guildford Cathedral went above and beyond in helping me to plan my visit. Nicola Pratt, the Head of Marketing and Communications for Guildford Cathedral kept me apprised of their events for the day I had planned to visit and was so supportive of my three cathedrals in one day plan that I felt cheered on by her encouragement.

Buffy (left) and Nicola Pratt (right) at Guildford Cathedral

All my planning completed, I was ready to begin my pilgrimage on August 14! Brit Rail pass (which afforded me maximum flexibility with train journeys), my Pilgrim Passport and a large coffee in hand, I caught an early train from London and headed to Guildford. Arriving at the cathedral high on the hill was incredible! It was slightly past 8:00 am and when I crossed the threshold of Guildford Cathedral my heart soared at the graceful architecture and peace and quiet. Not a person in sight, I had the entire space to myself. This was my first time in Guildford, and I was speechless at the symmetry in the nave and the light reflecting through the Holy Spirit window above the main altar. Unlike other cathedrals I had visited, Guildford’s modern interior was not teeming with monuments, carvings or even a choir screen. The view from the west door was unbroken to the altar in the east. Compared to some of the medieval cathedrals, Guildford may seem stark with its lack of decorative elements. But as I was exploring the space, a quote from the American author Terry Tempest Williams came to mind: “There is no place to hide, and so we are found.”

Guildford Cathedral

Consecrated in 1961, Guildford Cathedral is the newest member of the Church of England cathedrals and is only one of two Anglican cathedrals built on entirely new sites. My early arrival at Guildford Cathedral meant that I was able to join Morning Prayer in the Lady Chapel with Reverend Coleman. And what a phenomenal experience since it was just Reverend Coleman and me at Morning Prayer alternating the reading of the liturgy. Morning Prayer was followed by Holy Communion, and my heart was filled with the Holy Spirit and immense gratitude to be able to participate in these sacred rituals. Then it was time to head to the cathedral gift shop for my Pilgrim Passport stamp. On the way I had the great fortune to meet in person Nicola, my own personal three cathedrals in one day cheerleader! Nicola made sure my passport was stamped and as a parting gift she gave me a drink coaster with a gorgeous watercolor painting of Guildford Cathedral. As I sit typing this out, my glass of Pelligrino with a slice of lime is resting on that now treasured coaster.

Guildford Cathedral passport stamp in hand, I darted to the train station for my second cathedral of the day: Winchester. Temps were rising as the train rattled southwest and I shunned the caffeine for water to stay hydrated. Quick change of trains in Woking, and onwards I advanced to the ancient capital of England and moved from a 20th century cathedral to one dating to the 11th century.

The current aka new cathedral was built in 1093, although there existed a much older cathedral on the site. Despite visiting Winchester back in 2014, I was still astounded when I walked into the cathedral, and thankfully it was blessedly cooler than the heat outside. I had plans to meet an American friend of mine for lunch, who was also visiting Winchester Cathedral on the same day and to get her passport stamp as well.

Given that Winchester Cathedral is a major tourist draw, unlike Guildford, it was brimming with people, especially around the grave of author Jane Austen. But the swarms of folks heartened me since tourists and worshippers are desperately needed to keep churches open. My schedule didn’t allow for too much exploration of Winchester Cathedral, but I made sure to visit the King & Scribes exhibit and gaze upon the famous 12th century illuminated manuscript known as the Winchester Bible. And of course, to pay my respects to Jane Austen. Stopped by the reception desk to acquire my passport stamp and then a quick lunch with my friend in the cathedral’s café.

Winchester Cathedral

Two cathedral passport stamps down and one to go. But alas, akin to a true pilgrimage, I began to face difficulties in my journey. The afternoon heat was intense and on my walk to the Winchester train station I got lost. It wouldn’t be a real pilgrimage without losing one’s way! Thankfully some kind-hearted people gave me directions, and I managed to get to the station. However, due to the heat wave, the train systems were experiencing problems, so delays abounded. I was quite concerned that I wouldn’t make it to Salisbury Cathedral in time before they closed.

After some frustrating fits and starts with late and even cancelled trains, I finally made it to Salisbury Cathedral thirty minutes before they closed! Since my primary goal was to get my passport stamp, even before I paid the cathedral entrance fee I asked for the stamp and exhaled a sigh of relief that I had accomplished my goal of three cathedrals in one very long day. I’d been to Salisbury Cathedral three times before, so my recent visit was indeed a whistle-stop one, particularly since they were due to close. Lit a candle in the Lady’s Chapel, the oldest part of the cathedral, and sat down in the nave for a few minutes to soak up the graceful beauty of Salisbury Cathedral.

Salisbury Cathedral

Then a brisk walk back to the train station, only to encounter more delayed and cancelled trains as I attempted to venture back to London. After being stranded in Salisbury train station for nearly two hours, at long last I arrived back at my hotel room in London around 8:30 pm.

Exhausted, but elated, I reflected on my pilgrimage that took me across a section of England and three cathedrals that spanned more than 800 years between them. Starting in Guildford Cathedral reciting the liturgy during Morning Prayer, in Winchester at the shrine of St Swithun praying for rain to ease a wildfire in my hometown back in the states and ending in a Salisbury station praying for a train to ferry me back to London…my entire day of pilgrimage seemed to be replete with prayer. Prayers of praise, gratitude and supplication. Following in the footsteps of millions and millions of pilgrims before me, I lit candles in each of the cathedrals I visited, prayed silently, and cricked my neck looking upwards at the arches and dazzling stained glass windows. Similar to other pilgrims, my feet bore a type of pilgrim badge in the form of blisters. Along the way I encountered many people who helped me when I was lost, others who commiserated with me about the heat and train journey issues, and some who were sincerely interested (and surprised) at my bold three cathedrals in one day adventure. And I procured three more cathedral stamps in my Pilgrim Passport!

This experience reminded me, as a woman in my mid-50s, to expand my sense of what I can physically accomplish and to ask for help without hesitation when I lose my way. Some grit and a strong of sense of humor was essential too. My faith was bolstered along with my wonderment and reverence for sacred buildings. I’m now actively planning future trips to Church of England cathedrals and more stamps to add to my Pilgrim Passport!

P.S. During my August 2026 trip to England, in addition to the stamps from Guilford, Winchester and Salisbury, I also secured three more: Chichester, Birmingham and Gloucester, although those were visited during single separate visits.

Other ‘Cathedrals by Train’ you could try