Latest news and updates

After 2 years of closure, the Tower can now be visited as part of a guided tour on certain Saturdays from April to October 2022 in fine weather, or for pre-booked group visits on other days (please see below).

The Tower had to close, along with the rest of the Cathedral, in March 2020 due to the pandemic.

So, we're really happy to be able to open it up once more.

Individuals can join a tour to the top of the tower on certain Saturdays.

Tickets can be purchased on the day inside the Cathedral at the Welcome desk, close to the main North Door (opposite the High Street).

Tours cost £10* per person and last approximately one hour.

Please arrive at least 10 minutes before the start of the tour.
Tours may use sanitised headsets to enable the group to better hear their guide. Tours are for people aged 10 years and over and each individual child must be accompanied by an adult.
*Introductory price

Adult Groups can also pre-book a Tower tour by emailing an enquiry to visits@worcestercathedral.org.uk.
These tours cost £10.00* per person and last one hour. An extended tour lasting 1.5 hours, costs £15 per person.
*Introductory price

Tours for schools or groups of children can be booked by emailing and enquiry to the Cathedral Learning Team on schools@worcestercathedral.org.uk.

The Tower is the Cathedral's third tower. The first fell down in 1175 and the second was taken down because it was unsafe. The present tower was completed in 1374. The stonework internally is 14th century in date, but the exterior of the tower was re-faced in the 19th century as part of the Victorian restoration. The present tower was strengthened in the late 1980's/early 1990's, to ensure it is safe for the next 200 years. During the civil war in 1651, it was said that the future King Charles II viewed the Battle of Worcester from the top of the tower.

On a clear day there are spectacular views over the city centre, River Severn, County cricket ground, Pitchcroft racecourse, Malvern Hills and countryside beyond.

Head over to our 'Visit Us' page for more info!

After 800km and 20 days, Bishop John and H-J have completed their pilgrimage to Santiago De Compostela.

Bishop John has been raising money for the Cathedral, while H-J has been raising funds for the Trussell Trust.
 
Bishop John has raised a fantastic £3959.77 (£4552.04 with Gift Aid) for the Cathedral - 131% of his £3,000 target!

Bishop John said: "Cycling the 500 miles from the Pyrenees along ‘the Camino’, ‘the Way’ to Santiago has been an amazing experience. We were acutely conscious, as we did it, of the thousands and thousands of people who have made the journey before us. We were encouraged, too, by the very large number of present-day pilgrims from all over Europe and the world we encountered on ‘the Way’ today. It brought home to us the rich heritage of Christian faith we all share. That faith is first referred to as ‘The Way’ in the Acts of the Apostles. I pray that we may all be encouraged to continue on ‘The Way’, the way of life."

 
We are so grateful to Bishop John for choosing the Cathedral to benefit from his pilgrimage. The money raised will be used in the way he originally asked, to ensure the future of our wonderful Cathedral.
 
We’d like to thank Bishop John and everyone who made a donation in support of his pilgrimage.

Congratulations to them both! 

We are delighted to announce that our Undercroft Learning Centre is once again celebrating award success after scooping the top spot in both the Conservation and Client of the Year categories in the RIBA West Midlands Awards 2022. 

An extraordinary exhibition of 12 enormous, embroidered silk panels that explore the story of Creation visited the Cathedral from April - June 2022 as part of its three-year tour to 16 Cathedrals.  

Inspired by the poetic verses of Genesis, the first book in the Bible, textile artist Jacqui Parkinson re-imagines this ancient story in a vibrant combination of silk, hand-dyed materials, metallic leathers and gold leaf, miles of thread – and more than eight million stitches!

We are absolutely delighted to have been awarded the A Rocha UK Bronze Eco Church Awards. 

Since its formation, the Cathedral Eco Group has been working towards the Eco Church scheme, and this is the first milestone on our journey to becoming an Eco Cathedral.

The overall aim of the Eco Church award scheme is to celebrate the ways that church communities have been engaging with caring for the earth as a key part of our Christian faith.

A Rocha UK (ARUK) is a Christian charity working for the protection and restoration of the natural world and committed to equipping Christians and churches in the UK to care for the environment.

Responding to the biblical mandate to care for the earth, and demonstrating the Christian hope for God’s world, working with churches and Cathedrals through the Eco Church programme.

Now onto Silver! 

We are delighted to have been 'Highly Commended' at the Visit Worcestershire Tourism Awards 2022. Thank you so much Visit Worcestershire! 

The Quire Reopened for Visiting on Monday 14 March

The East End of the Cathedral had been closed since November 2021, following damage caused by Storm Arwen.
We know how much you missed visiting King John’s tomb and Prince Arthur’s chantry housed in our beautiful Quire, so it is just fantastic that we can once again welcome you to enjoy our wonderful attractions.
We still have a way to go with repair work, and the rest of the East End will remain closed off for now whilst work continues.
Our friendly team will be on hand to welcome and direct you when you arrive at the visitor welcome desk.
The organ pipes have been removed for cleaning off-site and will be reinstalled, hopefully over the summer, so we will need to briefly close the Quire again to accommodate this. Services will remain in the Nave for now, but we will be sourcing a digital organ, with the hope of services returning to the Quire in time for Holy Week.
But for now, please do drop in for a visit and enjoy this glorious space once more...
We can’t wait to see you.

We're celebrating scooping a national award for architectural excellence!

In collaboration with Acanthus Clews Architects, the conversion of the former monastic storage rooms into the new Undercroft Learning Centre provides an innovative and versatile venue for learning and discovery for the whole community.
The Civic Trust Awards scheme was established in 1959 to recognise outstanding architecture, planning and design in the built environment.
In awarding the accolade, the Judges commented on the project: “A challenging and well resolved scheme, the project addressed complicated access to the vault, allowing it to be opened-up and appreciated by a wide audience. Technical challenges associated with archaeology, environmental conditions in the space and ensuring the former monastic refectory cellar maintained its integrity was a colossal task and one that has been expertly executed.”
Camilla Finlay, Director at Acanthus Clews Architects, said: “Receiving this award from the Civic Trust is so important because it is given to projects that demonstrate the highest level of building conservation - this is the level all involved in the project strove to deliver in the conversion of the scheduled Undercroft. The Civic Trust awards also celebrate accessibility and inclusivity which was at the heart of our work in creating a centre for learning in the Undercroft - to provide an invitation that we hope will reach new audiences to come and share the spaces and activities that take place within.”
Our Director of Learning, Daniel Parnell, added: “The aim of the Undercroft project was for the centre to play a decisive role in maintaining the education department’s existing status as a beacon of excellence in educational outreach and a model of best practice.
“We are hugely honoured to be given this award that recognises the uniqueness of the building and the excellence of our education programme coming together to offer a diverse space for use by the whole community.
“It is a brilliant achievement for all involved in the development and delivery of this project. Thanks to National Lottery Heritage Fund and other generous donors, a team of skilled crafts people have created a unique venue and we now have a space for inspiration and discovery, and we are keen to make sure everyone has the chance to use it.
“And thank you to the judging panel for their support in recognising the achievements in creating this space!”

On Thursday 3 March 2022 at 12 noon, the Cathedral's bourdon bell tolled for 10 minutes as an act of solidarity and prayer for Ukraine.

We asked that during this time everyone remained still for a moment of reflection.

We're really pleased to announce plans for fully reopening, following damage caused by Storm Arwen in November last year

During the storm on 27 November 2021, part of a pinnacle from the side of the tower fell through the roof of the north quire aisle.
Since then, visiting and services have been restricted to the nave and the cloister. The east end of the Cathedral has been completely closed, including the quire which houses King John’s tomb - one of our most popular attractions.
We have been displaying a scale replica of the ‘bad’ King’s effigy, previously donated by the British Library, in the south of the nave in recent weeks, but we're counting down the days until we can once again access the real tomb, as well as the chantry of Prince Arthur Tudor (older brother of Henry VIII).

Staff and professional advisers have been hard at work assessing the damage and we are now in a position to share an approximate timeline of repairs, leading to the full reopening of the Cathedral, it is hoped by the end of the summer.
The programme of repairs will comprise three main stages.
January - March
Scaffolding is currently being erected in the quire to facilitate the cleaning of the organ pipes.
The majority of the pipes will be removed (around 3,000 in total!) and taken off-site for cleaning to remove dust.
It is hoped that the east end of the Cathedral, excluding the north quire aisle, will be cleaned and reopened for visiting towards the end of March.
Work will also begin to repair the vault and roof, at the main site of the damage, which will remain sealed off whilst this work is completed. As a result, accessibility will unfortunately be limited to the east end, as the disabled lift and access ramp are housed in this area.
Once the scaffolding is de-rigged, the quire can be thoroughly cleaned and re-opened for services; a temporary digital organ will be installed in the interim.
April - August
When repairs to the vault are complete, scaffolding will once again be erected and the organ pipes reinstalled, resulting in the quire again becoming inaccessible for a short time to facilitate this work.
Ongoing Work
The third part of the repair work is the carving of the new pinnacle; work which will be largely undertaken by the Cathedral stonemasons. The design of the new pinnacle is currently under discussion and we hope to engage with members of the community to produce a commemorative design marking HM The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee year. It is hoped this work will be completed before the end of 2022.
The Dean of Worcester, the Very Reverend Peter Atkinson, said: “There is good news and bad. Although it is disappointing the repair work will take around six months to complete, it is not unexpected. With buildings of this age, it is the case that when things go wrong, there is no quick fix.
“We are hopeful to be able to stick to the programme of repairs outlined above. However, we are of course reliant on everything going to plan and nothing being thrown up along the way to stall progress. We are cautiously optimistic, advised by our team of experts and contractors, that we will be able to fully reopen the Cathedral by the end of the summer and once again welcome visitors to enjoy our many attractions and services.”

Meet our Carpentry Apprentice, Ewan Pollock... 

Meet our Stonemasonry Apprentice, Debbie Branford...

The Revd John Paul Hoskins was installed as a Residentiary Canon and Precentor of Worcester Cathedral on Saturday 29 January in a special service of Evensong.

John Paul joins the Cathedral Chapter from the Diocese of Gloucester, where he was Priest-in-Charge of Winchcombe and will have particular responsibility for the Cathedral’s music and liturgy.

Worcester Cathedral currently has two Residentiary Canons. They are appointed by the Queen and are priests with responsibility alongside the Dean for the spiritual life of the Cathedral. They have day-to-day liturgical, pastoral and preaching duties. They take turns to be ‘Canon-in-Residence’ or duty canon for a week at a time. As members of the Cathedral Chapter, they share in the governance of the Cathedral and are trustees of the Cathedral almshouse, St Oswald’s Hospital.

In addition to these shared duties, each Residentiary Canon has a particular area of responsibility. The Precentor has the responsibility, on behalf of the Chapter, for supervising the liturgy and music of the Cathedral, and working with all those engaged in this important aspect of the Cathedral’s mission.

Among his previous posts John Paul has been a Minor Canon of Gloucester Cathedral and Chaplain to two Bishops of Gloucester. Before ordination he was a Lay Clerk at Guildford and Durham Cathedrals.

John Paul said: “I’m enormously excited to be installed as the new Precentor. Worcester Cathedral has a tremendous history of welcome and worship, with an outstanding musical tradition. I’m hugely privileged to have joined the Cathedral as part of a great community of prayer and praise to God.”

The Bishop of Worcester, the Right Revd Dr John Inge, says: “I am delighted with the installation of John Paul Hoskins as Precentor. He is a very gifted priest with a wealth of relevant experience. We warmly welcome him to the Cathedral community.”

The Dean of Worcester, the Very Reverend Peter Atkinson, said: “We are delighted to welcome John Paul as the new Canon Precentor of the Cathedral. With his pastoral and musical background, John Paul is highly qualified for the post of Precentor, and I’m thrilled that he has joined the Cathedral community.”

John Paul is married to Liz, who is a consultant ophthalmologist and who grew up in the Teme Valley, west of Worcester. They have a daughter Suzanna, who is 8 and the household also includes two border terriers.

A series of grants have been awarded to community-led projects that encourage everyone to get involved.

And our Eco Group aims to do just that! Made up of volunteers from the community who have come together to take positive climate action, the Cathedral Eco Group was instrumental in securing the funding; testament to their passion and commitment to climate action.

These eco warriors will be putting the money to good use and have a number of exciting initiatives to share over the coming months. So please, follow us, share and watch this space for details on how you can join in and stand #togetherforourplanet!

We are really excited to be finalists in the Visit Worcestershire Tourism Awards Large Visitor Attraction Category.

The winner will be announced at an awards ceremony at Stanbrook Abbey in March. 
Fingers crossed!! 

The damage caused to the north quire aisle roof by Storm Arwen overnight on Friday 26 / Saturday 27 November, though serious, is confined to the aisle and the hole in the roof now has a temporary, weather-proof covering.  

The nave and cloister remain unaffected and the shop and cafe are open as usual. 

Our team of experts has conducted investigations and we are working towards a programme of repair. We do not yet know how long the programme of repair will take, nor how much it will cost, but we do know that it will be several months and the cost will be significant. 

The area of damage in the north quire aisle and the quire itself will be closed as our team works on temporary protections and cleaning of the local area.

The organ was not damaged during the incident, however we must safeguard and clean the instrument during the period of ongoing work, so we are disappointed to report that it too will be out of action for some time. We will continue to use our electric organ in the meantime.

A rope access team carried out investigations, and the Cathedral bells and clock chimes were silenced whilst these investigations took place. Both have now been reinstated. 

The nave and cloister are safe and warm for visiting and services.

Once a frame to stabilise the vault has been installed, we hope to open the rest of the quire and the east end for services and visitors once more. 

We are sorry to bring a mixed update, but hope that you will understand the difficulties we face over the coming months.

The Cathedral Reopened on Monday 29 November 2021 After Suffering Extensive Damage During Storm Arwen

The doors re-opened at 10am on Monday morning, with visiting and services restricted to the nave and the cloister, and the shop and café open as usual.

During the storm on Friday evening, part of a pinnacle from the side of the tower fell through the roof of the north quire aisle.

The Cathedral’s staff and professional advisers worked hard and fast to assess the damage and ensure the safety of those visiting the Cathedral.

The Dean of Worcester, Peter Atkinson, said: “A team of experts is on-site conducting investigations and making the affected area of roof water and weather-proof. The nave and cloister are unaffected and open and safe for services and visiting.

“The roof’s ribbed vault appears to have buckled under the impact but has not given way. This is a tribute to those unnamed masons who built the east end of the Cathedral in the thirteenth century.

“The damage, though serious, is confined to the aisle. The hole in the roof now has a temporary covering. A programme of repair is being planned and a rope access team have today been assessing the tower.

“Our plans for Christmas are, at present, able to go ahead, working around the new situation we find ourselves in.

“We do not yet know how long the programme of repair will take, nor how much it will cost, and it is the knock-on effect that we cannot account for. We have already lost income over the weekend and are sadly unable to release additional tickets for our popular Christmas Carol and Crib Services as we had planned to this week, as a result of losing capacity in the north transept.

“This is a terrible thing to have happened, particularly in the run up to Christmas. Whilst repairs take place, we will be operating under temporary measures designed to maximise our use of the building; but it will take time for us to be back to normal once more.

“We are grateful to still have the use of the nave and cloister and are so looking forward to welcoming the community to come together and celebrate Christmas with us here at the Cathedral."

We were delighted to welcome HRH The Duke of Gloucester to the Cathedral on a very bright and sunny Tuesday morning, 2 November

As the Chancellor of the University of Worcester, The Duke made the time, ahead of his ceremonial duties during graduation week, for a visit with Cathedral clergy and staff and Civic dignitaries and a tour of the newly launched Undercroft Learning Centre.

Dean Peter said: "It was a pleasure to welcome HRH The Duke of Gloucester to view the Undercroft Learning Centre. As a former architect, The Duke seemed very interested and impressed by the space below College Hall, previously the monastic storage rooms, which has been transformed into a vibrant centre for learning and discovery."

Worcester Cathedral among 142 historic sites across England to receiving grants worth £35 million through the second round of the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund

We're delighted to have been awarded £328,794, which will be used to continue essential repairs to the medieval library.

The funding will not only help to secure some of the Cathedral’s most valuable treasures - including the will of King John and a 1225 copy of Magna Carta – but also enable us to enhance our environmental sustainability.

During autumn 2019 the Cathedral library team started to report water ingress to the building. A resulting inspection made clear there was a significant issue with the roof and associated masonry.

During lockdowns, environmental conditions in the library deteriorated further, placing some of the Cathedral’s most important artefacts at risk.

With support from round one of the CRF, the skilled team was able to fully overhaul and re-cover the roof of the ante-library and thermally stabilise the conservation room, which houses the most sensitive items of the collection.

Phase two of the essential improvement works to the main library means that they can now continue to improve the thermal and sustainable measures of the rest of the library; encouraged by the aims of the 2030 Net Zero Carbon Target set by the Church of England.

Funding through phase two of the CRF will enable us to: provide temporary protection to the library; re-cover the lead roof, improving the detail where possible; improve rainwater disposal locally and; install a latch-on man safe system to the roofs.

In addition, some of the high roofs needing urgent attention immediately above the library can also be repaired to prevent water ingress.

Emily Draper, Estates Manager, said: “I am delighted by the news that our plan for phase two of the library roof works has been supported and funded by the Culture Recovery Fund for Programmes of Major Works. This work will make such a difference to the health of the main library and ensure we are protecting the precious collection for the future. It is wonderful that we can repair the tiles and give the south transept and south slope of the nave some much needed love and attention too. I am excited for the project to start and looking forward to being able to clip onto our new safety system and tour the upper roof spaces!”

Worcester Cathedral houses one of the most important libraries and archives of any English Cathedral and it attracts visitors and scholars from all over the world.

It has collected manuscripts since the seventh century and now has the second largest collection of medieval manuscripts in any cathedral in the United Kingdom.

It contains nearly 300 manuscripts, maps, plans, drawings, books and archives dating from the 10th Century onwards and many still have their original bindings. The library also holds many early printed books and music (from medieval to Sir Edward Elgar), historical documents and ancient artefacts.

About the Culture Recovery Fund

This vital funding is from the Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage and the Heritage Stimulus Fund - funded by Government and administered at arms-length by Historic England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Both funds are part of the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund which is designed to secure the future of Britain’s museums, galleries, theatres, independent cinemas, heritage sites and music venues with emergency grants and loans.

Culture Secretary, Nadine Dorries, said: "From local churches to ancient buildings and landscapes, the UK's unique heritage makes our towns, cities and villages stronger, more vibrant and helps bring communities together.
"This latest funding - £35 million from our unprecedented Culture Recovery Fund - will help protect sites for future generations and help them build back better from the pandemic."
Duncan Wilson, Historic England’s Chief Executive, added: “Funding from the government’s Culture Recovery Fund is hugely welcome at a time when the people and organisations who look after our vast and varied array of heritage urgently need support to carry out essential repairs. Heritage is a fragile eco-system, with an amazing cast of characters who keep our historic places alive, with specialist skills that take time to learn and experience to perfect. These grants will protect their livelihoods, as they use their expertise to help our heritage survive.”
Money from the Heritage Stimulus Fund will also keep our nationally and internationally significant heritage assets in good condition and sustain the skilled craftspeople that look after them.

Worcester's Bellringers Join nationwide Call for Churches to Ring Out Ahead of the UN Climate Conference in Glasgow

The Ring Out for Climate Change campaign is led by Edward Gildea, a Christian Aid climate campaign organiser, who asked churches to ring their bells as a warning of the climate emergency and to mark the start of the conference.
The Dean of Worcester, Peter Atkinson, said: “Here at Worcester Cathedral, we believe that today is a time of real national crisis and so, on Sunday 31st October our young ringers sounded our bells to warn the people of Worcester of the threat we face.
“Extreme weather events have already affected us in Worcester through flooding, and as Christians we are deeply concerned with the millions around the world who are being profoundly affected.
“We are proud to join this initiative to sound the alarm for climate justice, as we work towards our goal of becoming an Eco Church.”
The UN Climate Conference, CoP26, sees world leaders and delegates meet in Glasgow and work together to commit to a reduction in emissions to avoid a climate emergency.

It comes just months after the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change described global warming as a ‘code red for humanity.’

The bell ringing campaign was endorsed by the Bishop of Norwich, the Rt Revd Graham Usher, the CoE’s lead bishop on the environment, and part of the delegation in Glasgow.

He said: “Church bells have traditionally been rung through the centuries to raise the alarm for local communities. The recent ‘code red’ report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is an alarm call for us all.

“I am happy to endorse a nationwide ‘ring out for climate change’ as a symbol of warning, but also of hope, that this conference will lead to action for us all, like Jesus, to tread more gently on our single island planet home and care more for those already adversely affected by climate change, especially in the economically poorest places on earth,” he added.
As well as this special ringing, Worcester Cathedral is carrying out a number of initiatives to show its commitment to the climate crisis.

During the COP26 conference, there will be a dedicated prayer space and prayers offered every day for the conference attendees; members of the Cathedral Eco Group and community will take part in an Ecumenical Walk of Witness through Worcester on the National Day of Action for COP26 (6 November), walking between local churches, offering readings, prayers and reflections.

Image courtesy of Ring Out for Climate FB Group

Visitors Journeyed to the Edge of the Universe... and Beyond! 

SPACE is a spectacular internal sound and light show created by award winning artistic collaboration ‘Luxmuralis’ - made up of Sculptor, Peter Walker, and Composer, David Harper.
Visitors went on an immersive journey through light and sound that transformed the interior of majestic Worcester Cathedral. The visual spectacular allowed viewers to go on a journey through space and time and the chance to walk amongst the stars. Sound and light art was projected onto the stunning architectural features within the Cathedral and visitors were enveloped with bespoke music as they viewed and experienced a journey to the edge of the Universe and back!

A Reflective Memorial to the Pandemic

Throughout August, an installation of steel 'Hope' leaves, by artist Peter Walker, lined the floor of the Cathedral's Lady Chapel, as a reflective memorial to the effects of the pandemic. Designed to honour those who have lost their lives, but also to allow everyone to take a moment to contemplate what we have been through and to think about loved ones.

The leaves were laid out on the Cathedral floor, creating a beautiful impression of autumn leaves fallen from the trees. Appearing as though naturally scattered by the wind, the leaves symbolised the past and what has transpired. However, the leaf is also emblematic of the future. The artist chose a sycamore maple leaf as it symbolises strength, protection, eternity and clarity.

The bells were heard across the city in tribute to our NHS heroes

In case you missed it, we were delighted to welcome BBC Midlands Today to the Cathedral to help us mark the first national NHS, Social Care and Frontline Workers Day.

Our famous bells were heard across the city at 8pm for 45 minutes on Monday evening to mark this first national day of recognition to mark the anniversary of the birth of the National Health Service in 1948.

The Dean of Worcester Cathedral, Peter Atkinson, said: “The NHS has been treasured since its inception, but never more so since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020.

“We were proud to ring our bells to show our gratitude and support to all of our doctors, nurses, paramedics, carers and other critical workers who gave their all to keep our essential services running while the country faced the pandemic.

“We also remember all those who have lost their lives to this dreadful disease and their loved ones who are left behind.”