£118,000 National Lottery boost for Portsmouth Cathedral visitors' space project

This funding will support the creation of a new ‘dynamic space’ within the South Tower Transept, combining the shop and welcome area with a new heritage exhibition space which will highlight both the rich history of the Cathedral and its deep connections with the city of Portsmouth.

The new space will include state-of-the-art display cases which will present treasured artefacts from the cathedral’s collection as well as loans from other institutions. This will be complemented by digital and interactive visitor interpretations, bringing the stories of the Cathedral and Portsmouth to life in an engaging and accessible way. The cathedral believes that relocating the shop to a more prominent position and integrating it with the heritage display will boost its visitor numbers.

The Very Revd Dr Anthony Cane, Dean of Portsmouth said: “I am absolutely delighted at this award, both for the ways it will enhance our welcome to visitors and pilgrims and enable us to showcase our central place in the maritime history of Portsmouth and longstanding relationship with bodies such as the Mary Rose Trust.”

A key feature of the project is the collaboration with the Mary Rose Trust with a curator from the Mary Rose Museum seconded to Portsmouth Cathedral for the duration of the project, further cementing the long-standing relationship between our organisations.

Dominic Jones, CEO of the Mary Rose Trust. said: “We are delighted to support such an important project in our City. The Mary Rose Trust already has a very close relationship with the Cathedral of the Sea, we have an unknown crew member from the Mary Rose entombed in the Cathedral and carry out an annual remembrance and commemoration of those who died on 19 July 1545.

“There is a such a rich culture of history and heritage in Portsmouth Cathedral and delighted we can support this project and look forward to seeing the impact it will have for culture, heritage and our community in the future.”

The project is set to begin in October 2024, with the new space expected to open ahead of Advent 2025. It comes ahead of the cathedral celebrating its centenary in 2027 with Portsmouth celebrating its own centenary of becoming a city in 2026.