Attendances soaring at Peterborough Cathedral

More children and teenagers have been visiting the Cathedral for educational visits than ever before, according to new statistics - and the figures do not include the number of visitors to see Tim Peake’s space craft, which has seen tens of thousands of people descend on the cathedral this year.

The number of young people of from nursery age to 18 years attending educational sessions rose by 257 per cent last year, from 3245 in 2016, to 11,652 in 2017.

And more people also attended the traditional Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services, rising from 3781 in 2016, to 4830 in 2017.

Dean of Peterborough The Very Revd Chris Dalliston, Dean of Peterborough, who joined the Cathedral in January 2018, said: “These figures show a most encouraging trend towards the Cathedral becoming a place where people from all walks of life feel welcome. This is certainly something my colleagues have been working hard to achieve and it is a credit to them that the statistics show such a significant increase in the numbers coming here for worship, learning and fun.

“At the heart of our welcome at the Cathedral is the love of God, which is for everyone regardless of who they are or where they come from.”

Peterborough Cathedral’s visitor figures are likely to show another significant increase in 2018, when numbers coming to see Tim Peake’s Spacecraft and the Museum of the Moon are taken into account. From August 10 to October 13 approximately 118,808 people have visited to see the exhibitions and look around the historic building. So far during October half term, large numbers of families have been visiting the Cathedral to take part in free events.

The space craft will remain at the cathedral until Monday, November 5.