The Bermuda Cathedral Tower has been called everything from `Hamilton's Best Kept Secret' to a `Pigeons Graveyard'.

For eighty-five years this majestic tower has sat in the middle of Hamilton, both admired and ignored by Bermudians and tourists alike. Yet it is part of the architecture of the Bermuda Cathedral, lending Gothic tranquillity to an otherwise urbanised landscape.

Hamilton, and most of Bermuda is laid out in panoramic detail enabling a simultaneous view of both the beauty and the grime of the city. Looking north you can see what was once the Pembroke Dump and in contrast, the sparkling water of Hamilton Harbour to the South.

All of Somerset and most of the Eastern end of the Island is visible from the tower as well as the North Shore and the Great Sound.

This tourist attraction has stood on Church Street undisturbed since it was first built in 1905. And the many pigeons that have given it the `Pigeon Graveyard' nickname have been the sole visitors to the tower roof. They with their birds eye view have probably witnessed dirt tracks of the city become tarmac and horse and buggies become motor cars.

Thanks to five years of Cathedral restoration effort, anyone can now venture up the tower to witness for themselves the activity of the city below.

Actually, not everyone is encouraged to attempt to climb the stairs. Several ominous warnings are posted both outside the tower and on the back of the five-dollar entrance tickets. The warnings read: "This climb is not recommended for the elderly, infirm, overweight, claustrophobic or anyone who may be susceptible to heart problems.'' And they mean it. There are 96 spiral stairs winding sharply upward. No rest for the weary. The stairway is just over a foot in width. And stop lights have been erected at the bottom of the stairs to stop people from walking up when someone is walking down.

In 1959, as a permanent memorial to the late Lt. Colonel Leon Powell, the tower of the Cathedral was flood lit. But the electrical lighting soon fell into disrepair and the tower was closed to the public to prevent injury.

There is a rest platform at the top of the spiral stairs which is a sort of half-way rest stop for tower visitors. The room has several interesting features including a genuine cedar staircase that has been there since the tower was built, a cedar floor with the outline of a circular trap door in it as well as a display of historical pictures and artifacts of the Cathedral.

The fifty-six cedar stairs, which lead up to the roof, make up a wide and easy staircase in comparison to the spirals.

Tours of the tower run daily with a healthy guide leading the way up the stairs. There are seven people to a tour. Cost: $3 for children and $5 for adults.