Newcastle Cathedral set for transformation after £4.2m lottery grant

Church leaders say the cathedral will become a "key city centre attraction"

A cathedral has been awarded £4.2m lottery funding towards an overhaul which church leaders say will "revitalise" the medieval building.

A community hub is set to be created at Newcastle's St Nicholas' Cathedral, alongside changes to the inside of the building and the public space outside.

The Bishop of Newcastle, the Right Reverend Christine Hardman, believes the work "will inspire people for generations".

The total cost of the work will be £6m.

With the National Lottery Heritage Fund providing the bulk of the money, the remainder is being donated by supporters, benefactors and charitable trusts.

Physical changes will include the installation of underfloor heating, the renewal of the Nave floor and the landscaping of the cathedral's south and east churchyards.

Staff, volunteer and visitor facilities will be created beneath the cathedral hall as part of the Common Ground in Sacred Space project.

Public space will be created at the front of the building

Funds will also go towards creating ways of interpreting the stories contained in the building's monuments, ledger stones and stained glass windows.

The bishop added: "The funding will see the cathedral greatly enhanced as a place of welcome and worship, and its presence in the city centre will be transformed.

"This further investment in the continuing development of Newcastle's medieval quarter is creative and exciting for the city and for the church."

Work will begin early next year.

The team behind the project said they hoped it would attract 100,000 visitors to the cathedral annually.