Worcester Cathedral awarded £200k to restore College Yard entrance

Matthew Hall, chief operating officer at the cathedral, said they were very grateful for the grant

Worcester Cathedral has been awarded a £200,000 grant towards restoration work.

College Yard, the main north entrance, has been "plagued" with car parking misuse, road surface quality and poor signage, officials said.

The money, from the Wolfson Foundation, will go towards improving the entrance space and signage.

Matthew Hall, chief operating officer at the cathedral, said further improvement work was to be carried out.

"The landscaping work on College Yard represents a significant milestone for the cathedral, as it constitutes the realisation of the first phase of the cathedral's landscape masterplan," he said.

"It also represents the development of a significant partnership with the city of Worcester that will improve the links between the cathedral and the city and encourage more people to enjoy, and engage with, the amazing heritage that we have to offer."

Part of larger plans to improve the wider cathedral precincts will continue throughout 2024 and beyond, he added.

Last month, the cathedral said it had a record number of visitors in 2023, with about 180,000 people visiting, up by 30,000 when compared with 2022.