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Over
the course of a year the Cathedral welcomes 450,000
people either as tourists or those who use the Cathedral
by attending services, concerts, lectures, events, etc.
In order to cope with this and other requirements of
the modern age, both in terms of legislation and good
practice, over recent decades mediaeval spaces in and
around the Cathedral have been put to inappropriate
uses and compromises made. Some areas cannot be opened
up for use by the public or even retained as glorious,
tranquil spaces because they have been pressed into
service for storage or other temporary usage due to
lack of any alternative room.
Wells Cathedral is a hugely significant site. It has
been a place of worship and mission for centuries and
is the seat of the Bishop. Its historic set of buildings
form an unrivalled mediaeval complex and the Cathedral
itself is an architectural gem housing one of the finest
mediaeval art galleries in Europe on its West Front.
The Cathedral forms a focus for the community, both
locally and regionally, and it has a significant position
in the local economy. The musical heritage of the Cathedral
stretches back centuries and the Cathedral continues
to uphold the unique English Choral tradition.
However, the Cathedral and its precincts are mediaeval
structures designed to the usage and requirements of
the Middle Ages. Those uses have changed radically over
the years and modern expectations and regulations have
to be applied. Twelve years ago the Cathedral authorities
began to plan for solutions to these problems - the
Cathedral Development Project.
The vision is to open up the Cathedral more - to increase
access in all senses. We wish to enable people to visit
more parts of the Cathedral; to enable disabled persons
to visit all the ground floor areas of Cathedral and
precincts; to open up more of the meaning of the place.
We wish to provide a better experience for everyone
who comes and to provide a proper education resource
for children and adults. We want to provide in-door
lavatories. We intend to conserve the fabric of the
Cathedral more effectively.
The project is designed as one coherent package with
modest new buildings on three sites around the Cathedral,
each in a location that has been built on before.
It is in four phases of which the first two have now been completed and work is continuing on the other two. |
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