Stoke Minster is reopening for worship from Mothering Sunday, 14th March, following a meeting of the Church Council. The church has been closed since Christmas aside for funerals but with the return of schools from 8th March and progress in vaccination, the church will again be opening its doors for public worship.Caution is still needed and COVID restrictions remain in place including the wearing of face masks, social distancing within the church. While this does not mark a return to worship as practiced before the pandemic (there's still no singing for instance), it is a welcome development.Services will continue to be available to view at home for those who are shielding (available here) as well as using our dial in service.
The Government has announced that Stoke-on-Trent has moved to the high COVID alert level (Tier 4) from Thursday 31 December. The City Council has advised on various measures (see below) however, public worship can continue. However, we have taken the decision to suspend regular worship (on Sundays and Wednesdays) for the time being as we assess the implications of the latest restrictions. Worship will be continue to be shared online on Sundays.
The Minster is not currently open aside for public worship as we review the latest Government guidance. The churchyard remains open* and the Guide below itemises the main features of interest. We hope that this of interest. We look forward to being able to receive visitors again soon.*Note that the maintenance of the churchyard is a statutory responsibility of the City Council.
