A spirit of community

Portsmouth Cathedral is raising much needed funds to help improve its range of facilities

The understated beauty of Portsmouth Cathedral, with its light-coloured stone and towering bronze doors that change hue with the time of day and the season, cannot fail to inspire.

Located off the High Street in old Portsmouth, the more
than 800-year-old cathedral is one of the few surviving city buildings that still fulfils its original function. Founded in the 1180s as a chapel dedicated to Thomas Becket, who was murdered a decade earlier in Canterbury Cathedral, it became a small parish church in the 14th century and,
in 1927, a cathedral.

To reflect its new status, a programme to enlarge it was undertaken by Sir Charles Nicholson, the famous architect. However, World War II intervened in 1939. The west end of the nave, with its twin towers, was finally completed in 1992.

Throughout its history, Portsmouth Cathedral has evolved to meet the changing needs of the local community. In order to bring its facilities up to date and make them accessible to a broader range of people, there are plans to redevelop the building. Refurbishment and modernisation work has begun on Cathedral House to provide a new music and education centre. It will host workshops for visiting schools and provide rehearsal space for both the cathedral choir and a new teenage choir called Cantate!

In recognition of the cathedral’s close relationship with the local community, South West Trains recently donated £1,000 to its £2 million redevelopment appeal. “As a company that serves local people, it’s important that we get involved in community projects,” says Mark Dunn, South West Trains’ area manager for Portsmouth. “When the Development Trust approached us regarding its project, we were very happy to help.”

South West Trains’ contribution to the £2 million appeal will help complete the refurbishment work on Cathedral House. “Serving this city is something that we share with our local train service,” says The Very Reverend David Brindley, dean of Portsmouth Cathedral.

“This donation will help us deliver a safe, welcoming environment for the many local people who use the building for education, music, leisure and support. With the appeal now at £1.5 million, we are immensely grateful for South West Trains’ generous award.” In addition, the money raised will be used to create a first-class heritage and visitor centre, shop and refectory in the north cloister, as well as a new Treasury where historic art treasures currently in local bank vaults can be displayed for the first time and exhibits from other churches in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight shown to a wider audience. It will also finance the maintenance of Portsmouth Cathedral’s medieval walls and roof.

Wear it Pink