Canterbury Cathedral to be more accessible

The famed Canterbury Cathedral in Kent is to receive a huge restoration as a result of funding received from The Heritage Lottery Fund. As a result of the funding, which totals £11.9 million, the cathedral is set to become more accessible as a part of the Canterbury Cathedral Journey project, which will ‘"radically transform" the building's accessibility’.

Alongside making the cathedral more accessible the project will entail a new visitor centre as well as going towards the restoration of the building’s west end, which has long since been in need of urgent repair. It is hoped that the work carried out as a result of the funding will restore the cathedral to its former glory and make the place of worship far more accessible to both those who rely on mobility aids and stairlifts around the home and younger visitors who can learn more about the structure in the visitor centre.

Pilgrim Pass Scheme

With more visitors expected to make the trip to the cathedral under the new Pilgrim Pass Scheme, the funding and renovations couldn’t have come at a better time as it is hoped that visitors of all ages and levels of mobility will come to enjoy the site. Trails that will guide visitors through the cathedral and the newly landscaped areas will become a part of the new scheme that hopes to encourage contemporary pilgrims according to this recent article.

The £19.4 million project includes the funding of a £930,400 development grant from the Heritage Lottery fund and will hopefully bring the central part of the Canterbury World Heritage Site up to modern standards and modes of accessibility for the mobility impaired, as well as create a whole new cathedral experience for visitors.

It is hoped that the restoration work on Canterbury Cathedral will see visitors with restricted mobility enjoy the same sense of independence that they receive from Handicare’s rise and recliner chairs for the elderly and other mobility aids.

Image Credit: Char (flickr.com)