The Cathedral

Departments of the Cathedral

There are a number of different Departments in the Cathedral, each with responsibility for different facets of the Cathedral's day to day life:

Administration

Based in the Cathedral Office at 12 Abbey Square, the Administration Department provides the support for the day to day affairs of the Cathedral as well as secretarial services for the Chapter. The Chief Executive's office is here, as well as the Education Officer, Estate Manager and Heritage & Press.

The Refectory Restaurant

This department is responsible for the provision of catering for the many visitors to the building as well as arranging special events in the Refectory and Cloister Room.

Opening hours:
Monday to Saturday: 9:30am - 4:30pm

The Cathedral Shop

The Shop is in the cloisters and stocks a wide range of gifts, music, CDs, and jewellery, some unique to the Cathedral. The Shop is also responsible for the smooth running of the till and the provision of admission staff.

Opening hours:
Monday to Saturday: 9.30am - 5pm
Sunday: 11am - 4pm.

The Vergers

The Vergers prepare the Cathedral or appropriate chapel for services on a daily basis. They also organise the practical aspects of large services which take place on a regular basis, and are in charge of security in the building. Service times can be found on the appropriate page.

Education Department

The Education Department consists of the Education Officer and a team of volunteer Education Guides. The core purpose of the department is to welcome children, in school groups, into the Cathedral. A wide range of tours and educational activities are on offer and have been devised to reflect the National Curriculum.
For more information, please see the education pages on the website link on the left.

If you wish to book a school visit, please telephone Claire Chatterton on 01244 500957.

Heritage and Press

The Heritage and Press department arranges guided tours of the building, deals with holiday companies, trains the Guides, and writes any printed historical material, as well as dealing with Press relations.

Estate Department

The daily maintenance of the building and the Cathedral's properties is never ending, and the Estate Team perform this work.

The Estate Manger is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the Cathedral and its other properties, many of which are Listed and need special care and attention. He works very closely with the Cathedral Architect and is also responsible for any new building, which may take place. The Cathedral electrician, joiner and workmen are part of this department. The admission charge helps pay for this work.