Exeter Cathedral needs to raise funds to make sure it can properly fulfil its role as a centre for worship and mission in the Diocese, and also a place of civic gathering for the people of Exeter and Devon.
As part of the Cathedral’s Strategic Plan (2025-2031), we seek to:
- be a community of engaging worship and prayer, gracious welcome, and transformation
- offer an inclusive invitation to engage with our worship, community, arts, heritage, and
- enable all who engage with our life to flourish within a healthy safeguarding culture
To achieve this we shall:
- Continue to repair and renovate the fabric of the Cathedral itself, and the other historic buildings in its precincts such as the Medieval Hall. This will improve hospitality and accessibility to visitors, and allow for the more effective working of the Cathedral and its long term sustainability
- Continue to update technologies used throughout the Cathedral, including improved sound and light,
- Enhance the visitor experience including further work on accessibility and visitor flow
- Introduce more efficient heating systems in the nave to help us work towards our goal of carbon net-zero
Essential works to the Cathedral include:
- Introducing a new sound and light system in the nave, to make sure events and services are accessible and enjoyable for all
- A new heating system in the nave to heat the space more efficiently while also lowering our carbon footprint
- The renewal of Church House, Serge Market and the Medieval Hall, making the Cathedral an even better place for events and community gatherings.
- Increased biodiversity on Cathedral Green
- Conservation the precious 14th century wall paintings in the Chapter House — one of the largest collections in the UK
- Restoration of hidden spaces such as the Dog Whipper’s room, Exchequer Chamber and Grandisson Chapel
- Conservation of the 13th century Misericords which are cracking, and beginning to drop off the stalls. These 50 seats are the earliest set in the country with elaborate carving, and need urgent work to protect them.
- Continuing to work with the local community to engage visitors with the Cathedral’s heritage through a series of projects celebrating the Cathedral’s treasures.
During the previous phase of our Development Project, we delivered 123 community engagement sessions attended by 5,237 people, and curated new relationships with a range of local community groups, organisations and charities across the city. The next phase of the project will continue to build upon these key relationships and develop new engagement sessions to continue to allow local people to engage with their Cathedral.
We will continue our efforts to widen and deepen our engagement with a focus on the following areas:
- Local people (encourage them and those who stay with them on holiday)
- Local and visiting people under the age of 35
- Visitors on day trips to the city including families with children
- Education and learning opportunities for children and adults
- Engagement with the thousands who use Cathedral Green for leisure, including Christmas Market’s 600,000 attendees
- Invest in outreach, promotion and marketing to engage with a wider demographic, hard-to-reach groups and other non-users
The project aims to enhance the visitor experience throughout the Cathedral and its buildings. By increasing footfall, the project will also significantly boost the local economy.
The Cathedral was built as a place of wonder. Recent surveys have suggested that many people visit the Cathedral to enjoy the atmosphere of the magnificent building. Wellbeing is important for us all.