Durham Cathedral is set to host a number of special events and services to mark the Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and The Queen Consort this weekend (5-9 May).
From lighting up the Cathedral, to hosting a picnic in the Cloister Garth the whole family can soak up the celebratory atmosphere. With the chance to join the Big Help Out and a special evensong the cathedral is inviting people come together to enjoy this historic occasion.
Andrew Usher, Chief Officer for Visitor Experience and Enterprise says,
“This is a historic occasion which hopes to bring communities together. As Supreme Governor of the Church of England, we want to mark the Coronation of King Charles in a befitting way. We want to join in with the national celebrations and enable as many people as possible to get involved, whether that’s attending one of our events or services, or simply seeing the building illuminated from afar – everyone is welcome to be part of the celebrations.”
To set the tone, from Friday 5 May to Tuesday 9 May, the Cathedral will be illuminated in red, white and blue every evening and will be visible from miles around.
On both Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 May, the Cloister Garth will be decked in bunting for The Big Lunch, which aims to bring communities together to share friendship, food and fun over the Coronation weekend. Everyone is invited to bring along a picnic to dine together in these iconic surroundings. The Undercroft Café will be open serving food and drinks for those who want to add to their picnic, including celebratory cakes, cream scones and wine to make a toast.
On Monday 8 May, the Cathedral will shine a light on the amazing volunteers who give their time to the Cathedral as part of The Big Help Out. Thousands of organisations are taking part in this initiative across the country to mark His Majesty’s Coronation. The aim is to inspire people to join in, lend a hand and make a change in their community. There will be a chance to find out what you can do to support the Cathedral as well as volunteer taster tours.
Belinda Fullelove, Volunteers Manager at Durham Cathedral says,
"Our fabulous volunteers are key to the life of the Cathedral, both as a working church, heritage site and visitor attraction. We welcome volunteers of all backgrounds with a variety of reasons for gifting their time. With a range of roles to choose from, those who are part of our volunteering community find it hugely rewarding. We're looking forward to welcoming people to the Big Help Out on Monday to learn more about volunteering and to shine a light on the fantastic volunteers who already give their time to support the work of Durham Cathedral."
The celebrations culminate in a special evensong to celebrate our new Monarch on Tuesday 9 May at 5.30pm. HM Lord-Lieutenant of County Durham, Sue Snowdon will be in attendance, and the Bishop of Durham will give an address.
For more information visit: www.durhamcathedral.co.uk