Latest news with #DioceseofLeicester
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Opening date announced for cathedral extension
A new £12.7m heritage and learning centre at Leicester Cathedral will open in June, senior clergy have confirmed. Work to extend the cathedral, where the remains of King Richard III are interred, began in 2021 and has now been completed. The Diocese of Leicester said the opening of the extension on Saturday 14 June would be a "significant milestone" for the place of worship. The new facility will include an exhibition space with curations about the history of the cathedral and the wider city and will include Roman and mediaeval artefacts. Dean of the cathedral, the Very Reverend Karen Rooms, said: "The opening of the heritage and learning centre is a transformative moment for Leicester Cathedral and prepares us for the next 100 years. "This project has restored and renewed this ancient building and helps us to balance the needs of our services and worship, cultural tourists, school visits, community events, pilgrims and visitors. "This new building expresses our commitment to be a cathedral for everyone." The diocese said it wanted the project to enable the building to "function as a 21st Century cultural space without compromising the sacred workings of a Church of England cathedral". The new centre, paid for through donations, fundraising and National Heritage Lottery Fund grants, will also include an educational space open to schools and community groups. It will also have modern toilet facilities for visitors and provide office space for cathedral staff. An opening ceremony and ribbon cutting has been planned for 11:00 BST on 14 June. Follow BBC Leicester on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@ or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210. Hoardings come down to reveal cathedral extension Cathedral to re-open after 22-month transformation Roman shrine discovered near cathedral graveyard Diocese of Leicester
BBC News
12-03-2025
- General
- BBC News
Hoardings come down to reveal Leicester Cathedral extension
Construction site hoardings outside Leicester Cathedral have been taken down to reveal the medieval building's new heritage and learning majority of Cathedral Gardens was fenced off in 2021 as part of a £12.7m revamp of the historical building, which is home to the remains of King Richard area has now been opened up again as work on the project draws to a has also been taken down to show the extension's stonework, glazed terracotta fins and copper roof parapet. The Diocese of Leicester said the hoardings had been removed temporarily to aid the cathedral's involvement with the city's Light Up Leicester festival from 12–15 March. The site will then again be sealed off with fencing to allow for the reinstatement of Cathedral Gardens, including repair work, installation of new turf and the removal of temporary ground works done to make the site safe during the is anticipated Cathedral Gardens and the heritage and learning centre will be fully opened by late May or early Norman, chief operating officer at Leicester Cathedral, said: "We can't wait to welcome the people of Leicester, Leicestershire and beyond back to a fully reopened Cathedral site.""There has been much hard work with plenty of challenges along the way."But since we reopened the main cathedral building back in November 2023 we've seen an amazing response to the work to restore the building, renew our sacred spaces, and reaffirm the cathedral's place at the centre of city and county."
