V. Cathedral Ward

Within the area you will find a "man" in a red cloak talking to you about the Cathedral Ward being a safe place, since the incense wards off the beasts, and asks you to spread the word to people who are still sane. (Note: You may return to central Yharnam and talk to the lady who is looking for a "safe" place. After doing so, she will reward you with the Triumph gesture and will find her in the Cathedral Ward later on).

Go straight and exit the door leading outside to a graveyard. You will be attacked by some Gravekeepers. Here, you may also find a corpse where you may pick up a Top Hat, a hunter Garb, a Hunter Gloves, and Hunter Trousers. Here, you will also find a mysterious blue vortex that sucks you in and gives you quite a huge amount of damage so it is best that your HP is full. Getting "crushed" by this gives you Insight and Frenzy. (Note: Once you have your Insight high enough, you will be able to see the real image of the monster responsible for that vortex)

Walk past the well and climb the stairs that will lead you to another Giant Gravekeeper. After eliminating that, going the opposite direction will lead you to two Ogres watching the area. As you look around, you may find a corpse that gives you a Monocular, which you may use to zoom-in on items and places. This park offers Ogres, Giant Crows, and another Giant Cathedral hunter as your foes. Here, you may also pick up some Bloodstone Shards from corpses too. At the end of the park head down the stairs and open the chest which will give you Tempering Blood Gemstone.

Backtrack up to the Cathedral Ward and climb the stairs to the right. At the top of the stairs, by a large gate, you will find a corpse on the floor where you may pick up a wooden shield. Here, you will find a locked gate that requires a special emblem, which you can buy from the Messengers for 10,000 Blood Echoes. (The special emblem can only be bought from the Fountain Merchant in the hunter’s Dream, and will only be for sale if you were able to get the Sword Hunter badge after defeating the cleric beast). Once you open it, you will find more Gravekeepers and Giant Gravekeepers around the graveyard. There are quite a lot of Madman's Knowledge available for you here too. In one of the exits, there will be an arched pathway where you will be attacked by a Giant Crow and an Eldritch Monster. Around the area, you will find Tempered Blood Stones and some Antidotes. As you move forward, you will find a staircase which will lead you to a door where a man mentions something about a password.

** From the Cathedral ward as you climb the path, turn left and take the stairs down where you may find a small alley with coffins chained to the side. Here you may talk to some people locked inside their homes. At the end of the alley, there is a staircase that will lead you to another building where you will find a ladder, that once you climb, will bring you to a tower where some Messengers will give you a hint about a password. Go down the ladder and you will find a large staircase fronting a large gate. From this side, you may now open the gate. Also in this area you will have to battle Giant Gravekeepers lurking around the area.

Take the stairs to the left of the large staircase and there you will find a lever which will open the gate that was locked earlier.

In this yard, you will also find a ladder which will lead you up to a tower where you may get a Numbing Mist from a hunter's corpse. From here, you may jump off the tower and on one of the rooftops, you may find a corpse that will give you a Black Messenger Hat, which you can use to adorn the Messengers by talking to the Stump Messengers in the Hunter's Dream.

Now go back to the graveyard and take the stairs on your left down that will lead you to the font of the Cathedral where Rabid Dogs and a few Afflicted Yharnamites are patrolling around a bonfire. Take a left and head down the stairs where two more Rabid Dogs and an Afflicted Yharnamite Rifleman are. From there you will find another building. And as you go inside you will find a hunter named Alfred standing in front of a tomb where he talks about byrgenwerth and hands you Fire Paper.

After talking to Alfred, go back inside the building and pull the lever which will open a staircase leading you underground to an atrium. Take the next flight of stairs downwards which will lead you to a darkened room where you will find a staircase leading downwards again. Continue on down the stairs and you will find yourself in another room filled with weeds sprouting around. At the end of the room there will be a large door which will open up to old yharnam. (Note: You may proceed to enter Old Yharnam or do it later on.)