Chester Cathedral is getting ready to run its second annual Heritage Discovery Day.
Organisers say this year’s event is set to be bigger and better than ever.
People are being invited to join the cathedral’s heritage professionals on Saturday 22nd October for the free event which will bring to life the medieval heritage of Chester’s iconic cathedral.
Attendees will be able to enjoy a range of activities taking place across the cathedral site – and the event coincides with the first Saturday of half term.
There will be medieval objects on display, live demonstrations of heritage skills, music-making, family activities, tours and an opportunity for worship.
Visitors will also be able to access parts of the site not normally open to the public, in this once-a-year event, with objects that are rarely on show for the public.
The cathedral team will be joined by staff from the University of Chester’s Mobility of Objects project.
This will include a pop-up exhibition which will be available in the vestibule of the cathedral, where visitors will get a chance to handle medieval and early modern objects excavated in and around Chester.
Visitors will discover the fascinating stories behind historic everyday objects including: shoes, keys, tiles, pottery, ceramics, rings, pilgrim badges and devotional tokens.
Lecture series
In the build-up to the day, people who want to learn more about Chester’s medieval history can purchase tickets to a lecture series being held in the cathedral’s medieval Lady Chapel, which will a variety of engaging topics.
Ticket-holders will hear academics from four prestigious universities delve into discussions on the veneration of St Werburgh, what burial practices looked like to our medieval counterparts, and hear about the life of Chester Cathedral’s own medieval scholar Ranulph Higden.
The V Rev Dr Tim Stratford, Dean of Chester, said: “We are thrilled to be able to bring this event back to Chester Cathedral for the second time.
“Visitors hugely enjoyed getting to see and learn about out medieval history and talk to our heritage professionals who care for and interpret it for us today.
“The Heritage Discovery Day is a fantastic way for families and students alike to kick off the weekend and the start of half term and immerse themselves in Chester’s truly fascinating medieval history.”
Visitors are encouraged to book their free ticket (and paid tickets, for specific parts of the event) in advance.
