Issue 38 Summer web 23 - Flipbook - Page 18
Leicester Cathedral
We have chosen the word ‘revealed’ to name our project of the restoration and renewing of
Leicester Cathedral, so that it can be its very best as a place of worship, heritage, pilgrimage,
hospitality, learning, sanctuary and celebration.
Leicester Cathedral Revealed will restore our Grade II*
Cathedral - built on a Roman site and dating back to the
thirteenth century - to its Victorian and Arts & Crafts
heritage. In doing this, we will be putting the whole
building back into good order and making it sustainable
for many generations to come.
the Arts & Crafts movement. And it celebrates the
convening power of the Cathedral - to reveal the
Christian message and to promote compassion and peace
in a city and county where all religions are respected.
Key works will include:
- Restoration and conservation of the stonework,
windows and ceilings
Leicester Cathedral Revealed is our £12.7m project to put
the building back into good order, create more space for
learning, better manage visitor flow and improve the
individual experience of being within the Cathedral.
- A new stone floor, level throughout, including
energy-efficient underfloor heating
For this, we have taken our inspiration from our forebears
in the Victorian and Arts & Crafts periods, who must
have considered similar questions a hundred or so years
ago and come to solutions that were right for their time.
Leicester Cathedral Revealed will also create a striking
new building alongside, where the Old Song School
currently stands, which will protect the historic setting of
the Cathedral and free up the sacred spaces for their
original purpose.
It speaks to us of the industrial prosperity of the Victorian
period - which the Cathedral reveals as a living story told
in stone, fabric and glass. It tells of the pioneering spirit of
reform - applauded by the church and exemplified by
Key features will include:
- An orientation area and exhibition gallery with
immersive interpretation
Above, redecoration
i
i
Conservation & Heritage Journal
16