Guided Tour of Coutances Cathedral
Guided tours of Coutances Cathedral including the upper galleries can usually be booked throughout the summer. They are also offered during the school holidays.
In the summer there is often a tour in English once a week. French tours are available every day in both the morning and the afternoon. The tours last around an hour and are delivered by experienced guides from Le Pays d'Art et d'Histoire. The company is based in Coutances.
I've done this tour twice - once in English and the second time in French. You meet at the side entrance of the cathedral. Once inside you head over to a small door and make your way up the stone circular staircase. You can discover the history of Coutances Cathedral and the hidden passageways created when a second building was built over the original. The hidden passageways, upper galleries and the lantern tower walkway are only open to you if you take a guided tour. The ground floor of the cathedral is open to everyone and it's free to visit.
The upper galleries give you a wonderful view of the stained glass windows, the lantern tower and the cathedral below.
To reserve a place, contact Coutances Tourist Office. The visit is limited to a small number of people. If you have a fear of heights, then this probably isn't the tour for you. The corridors on both the upper levels are narrow and the second level is pretty high up.
Although this video concentrates on the cathedral architecture, you can see the upper galleries, the lantern tower and the stained glass windows.