Peterborough Cathedral re-opens to visitors

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Peterborough Cathedral will re-open to visitors from Saturday 4th July, following the further lifting of the Government’s coronavirus restrictions.

From this Saturday the Cathedral will be open to visitors from 10.00am until 4.00pm from Monday to Saturday, and from 11.30am until 4.00pm on Sundays.

A one way system will be in place and visitors will be asked to sanitise their hands on arrival and on exit. Social distancing at 2m will be expected and for this reason the small side chapels will remain closed. People will be invited to leave their contact details for ‘track and trace’ purposes, in line with Government advice.

There is no entry charge but visitors are asked to make a donation to support the Cathedral and its work.

The 900 year old Cathedral is considered to be one of the finest Norman buildings in England and it is the burial place of Katharine of Aragon, the first wife of Henry VIII. In March 2020, just before lockdown began, it received a ‘Best Told Story Accolade’ from VisitEngland in recognition of the excellent way it tells it welcomes visitors and tells its story.  

The Very Revd Chris Dalliston, Dean of Peterborough, said:

“We are delighted that, thanks to a lot of hard work from our staff and volunteers, we are able to open our doors again to those who would like to explore our wonderful cathedral. We are blessed with plenty of space and have safety measures in place, so we hope that many people will feel able to make a visit.”

The Cathedral’s first public worship since lockdown will be a simple service of Holy Communion on Sunday 12th July, at 10.30am. An online service will also be provided each Sunday. Until general visiting starts on 4th July, the nave of the Cathedral continues to be open for private prayer from 10am to 1pm, as it has been since 22nd June. The Cathedral grounds (except the Cloisters) are also open to visitors during the daytime. 

The Cathedral Shop and Guided Tours are not yet available although it is hoped to relaunch both of these safely in due course. The Cathedral Visitor Centre and toilets remain closed for the time being.

Sundays restaurant and tea room within the Cathedral Precincts is expected to re-open with safety measures in place from Friday 10th July, initially at weekends only, from 10.00am until 4.00pm.