The building is closed, but we continue in our mission and work!

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Our regular services will take place nearby:

The Sunday 10.30am Cathedral Eucharist has moved to St Martins House next door.

Choral Evensong, lunchtime Eucharists, and Morning & Evening Prayer on weekdays take place at St Nicholas Church nearby.

As well as continuing to support and care for our Cathedral Community, we are working to provide a welcome to visitors in the city centre and developing new ways of telling our story and history. Our Discipleship programme will continue.

Keep up to date with all the exciting developments that are happening by visiting the Project Director Updates page here.

We are also excited that on Sunday afternoons we shall visit parish churches across Leicester and Leicestershire with our choirs, clergy and members of our community. This is the Together with Leicester Cathedral project and we look forward to meeting new people and making new friends.

To find out more or to see how you can get involved, please email the Cathedral Office.

Services will follow this pattern:

Sunday Eucharist: 10.30am service in St Martins House. 
Monday Eucharist: 8.30am in St Nicholas Church. 
Morning Prayer: 8.30am on Tuesdays–Fridays in St Nicholas Church. 
Lunchtime Eucharist: Tuesdays, Thursdays and principal saints’ days at 1.00pm in St Nicholas Church. 
Choral Evensong/Evening Prayer: 5.30pm on Mondays–Fridays in St Nicholas Church (in person and not live-streamed). Evensong sung by the Cathedral Choir during term-time; usually Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.

All services are subject to change. We will continue to update our website for up-to-date information.

Visiting the Tomb of King Richard III

Access to the Tomb of King Richard III will be strictly limited during the building phase. On those days of access we are looking to offer specialised tours to small groups of visitors. Further details will be revealed when we can. Our programme of education visits will continue and will be hosted at the nearby church of St Mary de Castro.

School Visits

While the Cathedral building is closed for restoration, our schools work will take place at the historic church of St Mary de Castro. Other planned events will be located as appropriate. We are partnering with the King Richard III Visitor Centre to tell our part of the KRIII story.

For more information, please get in touch via [email protected]

Christian Resources Leicester and St Martins House

Christian Resources Leicester, St Martins House and Café No:7 will be open as normal. Please visit their websites for up-to-date information.

Volunteer Activity and Welcome

Throughout the closure period the Cathedral will maintain a welcome desk in St Martins House. This will be staffed by volunteers 11.00am to 3.00pm Monday to Saturday and 12.30pm to 2.30pm on Sundays. Monday to Saturday we will endeavour to maintain a chaplaincy presence for those with pastoral needs.

The welcome desk will act as a signposting service and will also provide information about the ongoing building work / archaeological explorations and any forthcoming events. Visitors are welcome to drop in during opening hours where they will be afforded a warm welcome.

Volunteer Vacancies

Notwithstanding the Cathedral closure, we would welcome applications to join the following teams: Welcomer, Guide, Chaplaincy and Education. For further information please click here.

What is happening?

Leicester Cathedral Revealed will renew the Cathedral so that it can be its very best as a place of worship, heritage, pilgrimage, hospitality, learning, sanctuary and celebration.

Renewing the Cathedral Building

The project will repair and restore the Cathedral. It will provide a unified stone floor that will remove all level changes and include energy-efficient underfloor heating throughout; replace failing infrastructure such as boilers, electrical system; install new lighting and AV; restore and reveal the Victorian and Arts & Crafts architectural features; repair much that has deteriorated (particularly stonework and décor); and secure the fabric for the long term.

Creating Something New

It will also construct a new visitor and learning centre, The Chapter House - a striking extension to the Cathedral on the footprint of the Old Song School, thereby preserving the open space of Cathedral Gardens. The Chapter House will provide an exhibition gallery with immersive interpretation, a flexible learning space for school children and community groups, and WCs.

Timeframe

Project works commenced in the autumn of 2021 and the extensive building works inside and out mean the Cathedral needs to be closed from the beginning of 2022 until autumn 2023.

Looking to the Future

Leicester Cathedral Revealed will realise our vision to restore the Cathedral building, renew its sacred spaces, and reaffirm the Cathedral’s place at the centre of a resurgent City and County.