At the heart of Exeter Cathedral’s Christmas market lies Exeter Cathedral itself. All paths lead to its huge Great West Doors, which are open to visitors for just a donation this Christmas season.
Nestled next to those doors, you’ll find the Cathedral’s own Christmas Chalet. It is a festively lit cabin, where you’ll discover a sparkling array of treasures, all thoughtfully selected to help with those finishing touches to your Christmas celebrations.
Setting up the Chalet for Christmas is always a special occasion for the Cathedral staff, as Retail Manager, Alice Escott explains:
“The Christmas Market is such an important event in the calendar of Exeter Cathedral. We welcome thousands of visitors to the Cathedral and Cathedral Green throughout the year, but particularly during the Christmas Market, with an especially joyful and festive atmosphere. There has always been an Exeter Cathedral Christmas Chalet at our Market, so for those of us who have been with the Cathedral for some time, it’s exciting to watch the event grow and get better each year.”
The Chalet’s Christmas cards and the choristers’ music selection CDs—both exclusive to Exeter Cathedral—are sure to enhance the festive mood for December. Add a sense of excitement and anticipation as you count down to Christmas with the Chalet’s Advent calendars and candles, and that magical essence of the season is ensured.
Proving particularly popular this year—and flying off the shelves already—are the Chalet’s personalised items, including Christmas cards and Glitter Wing Christmas Angels which are perfect for the tree. Come along and find your loved one’s names before they sell out!
On entering the Chalet, you’ll see a glistening wall of decorations to choose from, including exclusive pieces featuring Exeter Cathedral. There are also beautiful festive ornaments and tempting confectionery treats.
All profits from the Exeter Cathedral Christmas Chalet’s sales will go towards supporting the Cathedral. So you’ll have the benefit of knowing that whatever treats you pick up for Christmas, you’ll be supporting a wonderful building which has stood at the heart of Exeter for nearly 1,000 years. The Cathedral gets no money from the government and so is entirely reliant on purchases, donations and events to raise the £6,000 a day needed to keep it open and ready to welcome the hundreds of thousands of visitors it receives each year.
So wherever your journey through the Christmas Market starts, follow the paths down to the Great West Doors of the Cathedral and say hello to the Cathedral staff, ready to serve you at the Christmas Chalet.