Worcester Cathedral receives record number of visitors over Christmas
Nearly 50,000 people visited the historic site
Worcester Cathedral announced they have received a record number of visitors over the Christmas period.
The 7th century cathedral recorded nearly 50,000 visitors in December.
This was the first Christmas to be held in person since Covid restrictions were lifted.
More than 13,000 people attended services in the week leading up to Christmas Day, with a total of 44 Choral Carols sung.
In addition, this year’s crib services featured more animals than usual, with a total of three donkeys and flocks of sheep.
The cathedral launched a Christmas appeal in November with the aim of keeping the cathedral’s doors open and providing a warm space during the winter months.
The appeal raised close to £25,000.
The Vice-Dean of Worcester, Canon Stephen Edwards, said: “We were absolutely delighted to welcome so many visitors to the Cathedral throughout the Advent and Christmas period.
“It was a pleasure to celebrate Christmas with no restrictions in place, for the first time since 2019.”
In an interview with Free Radio, Peter Atkinson Dean of Worcester, said: “There are not as many visitors to Worcester as a city yet compared to pre-lockdown, so we did not know what to expect.
“And therefore, we were taken a little by surprise and delight that some people came”.