Newcastle Cathedral to reopen following £6m revamp

Visitors will be welcomed back to the cathedral from 12 August

Newcastle Cathedral is to reopen its doors following a £6m renovation.

The 20-month-long redevelopment has created a community hub, alongside changes to the inside of the building and the public space outside.

Cafe 16, which will provide training, mentoring and employment to prison leavers, is another new addition.

The Very Revd Geoff Miller, Dean of Newcastle, said the "heart of the project" was about creating a "sustainable future" for the cathedral.

He added the "historic and spiritual landmark" had been sympathetically restored into an accessible visitor attraction, whilst "preserving and celebrating its ancient religious roots".

The cafe will be supplied by HMP Northumberland's bakery

The new community cafe is an initiative by Northumberland-based charity The Oswin Project which helps prison leavers to get their lives back on track.

It provides the opportunity to develop new skills and attitudes, as well as training and qualifications in catering, baking and cleaning.

Other new features include interpretation panels and a new sound and light show, which brings 900 years of history to life - chronicling the development of the cathedral at the heart of the modern city.

The cathedral's oldest resident - a 14th Century effigy of a medieval knight, thought to be Peter le Marechal, sword bearer to King Edward I - has been newly conserved and brought to life

Lottery funding for the cathedral's transformation was announced in 2019, with the remainder donated by supporters, benefactors and charitable trusts.

Newcastle Cathedral will be open to the public from 12 August.

In the nave, flexible seating allows for new styles of worship and enables the cathedral to host business and cultural events