'High hopes' for new cloister bid

Exeter Cathedral say they hope to find out 'in weeks' if money's been pledged for ambitious plans to rebuild a cloister

An artist's impression of the new cloister
Author: Andrew KayPublished 14th Feb 2022

We should know within weeks if Exeter Cathedral will get a grant to rebuild a cloister that was destroyed in the 1640s during the English civil war.

The Dean of Exeter Jonathan Greener say they're waiting to find out if a grant bid has been accepted by the National Lottery Heritage Fund so they can build a new gallery and event space.

Exeter Cathedral has already received a £91,500 grant to make improvements to the landmark building, which has stood in the centre of Exeter for nearly a thousand years.

If the grant is approved a 12-month contract could start as early as July.

Although a church existed on the site during Anglo-Saxon times, the construction of Exeter Cathedral began in the early 12th century and was complete by around 1400.

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