I climbed to the highest point in Preston - this is what it's like going up St Walburge's 309ft spire

Penwortham man Alistair Allen has climbed his way to the top of Preston's tallest building, and videoed the ascent.

"It's dusty", that's the first thing Alaistair says when asked what the journey walking up 172 stone steps inside St Walburge's spire was like.

Click here for views from the top of St Walburge's

"You get a good briefing at the bottom, then when you start to go up, you notice it's very dusty, quite dark and it's musty."

The church hosts walks up the tower several times a year, to raise money for ongoing maintenance work at the Grade I-listed building. Visit the website here for information on the next scheduled walk.

Alistair, 57, first walked up the spire 18 months ago after seeing an online article, but had been unable to take good pictures from the top, due to the rain. This time, he took his video camera with him.

"There's nothing to hold onto"

He said: "There's nothing to hold onto. I tend to lean on the central spindle of the steps. Walking up doesn't tend to be a problem, other than it's a long way, but walking down is tougher because your legs are already tired. And I've got bigger feet than whoever made it, so you have to be careful not to overlap your feet."

Groups of between 10 and 15 are taken up at a time, and Alaistair said here are "a couple" of small areas where you can pass people if someone needs to take a break from the climb. At one point in the ascent, you are able to peer inside the housing of the biggest swinging bell in Lancashire.

Alistair, who is originally from Watford, said the views from the top are "fantastic", but space is limited to a square viewing platform with a waist-high railing that "you'd struggle to fall off". He said: "You really can see for miles. I could see the Mormon Temple in Chorley and Blackpool Tower."

History of the church

Preston’s iconic church took four years to build and was opened in August 1854. At 309-feet its spire is the tallest on a parish church in the UK.

The spire was built from limestone sleepers from the nearby Preston to Longridge Railway, giving it a slight red tint during sunset. It was the last spire to be worked on by steeplejack and TV personality Fred Dibnah. In 2007 St Walburge’s was threatened with closure as part of cutbacks, but was then given a seven-year stay.

In 2014 the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest took over the running of the church and now attracts a large congregation to its traditional Latin Masses.