Gifts

Opening times from Mon 13 November – Sat 23 December 2023

Monday-Friday (except Thurs 14 December)	10am-4pm (closed during Monday Organ Recitals)
Saturdays (except Sat 18 November)	10am-3:30pm
Sundays	11am-3:30pm

Explore our retail selection during this festive season to discover unique decorations and special gifts. Returning favourites from last year include our Newcastle Cathedral Advent Candles, perfect for counting down to the big day.

If you’re still looking for a perfect Christmas card to send to your friends and loved ones, we have a delightful collection of charity cards from Amnesty International, The Soil Association, and Transform Trade. You can also pick up the Cathedral’s exclusive design by talented artist Jude Coram (priced at £1.75 each or £5.50 for a set of five).

Bethlehem Baubles (£14 each) are available in various hues and colours and are made from recycled glass. Each bauble is a product of collaborative craftsmanship: “handblown by Muslims, painted by Christians and shipped by Israel”. Click here to read about the company’s mission and its response to the current crisis.

The fairly traded hand-carved Soapstone Nativity (£19.99) is a beautiful and contemplative decoration for the festive season. Keep your eyes peeled for adorable, fairly traded handmade matchbox Nativity scenes (£8.50 and £9.50), ideal to add to your Christmas decorations or as a stocking filler.

The Cathedral’s retail area will close for Christmas on Saturday 23 December, and reopen in mid-January after our annual winter stocktake.

New Guidebook: A Treasure Chest of Stories

Published January 2023, Newcastle Cathedral: A Treasure Chest of Stories is the first visitor guide in 18 years. Written by the former Dean of Newcastle, Geoff Miller, as part of his legacy to the Cathedral, it tells some of the rich history of the building and the people who made it.

Tales include the Siege of Newcastle by Scottish invaders in 1644, the Cathedral’s connections to Trafalgar hero Admiral Lord Collingwood, and a brief look at the Cathedral’s vast collection of ledger stones, which commemorate notable people of the city, including local businesspeople and artists.

More recent events include the ‘Unknown Knight’ effigy’s return to its former resting place and the introduction of a new set of liturgical furniture created and made by local designers, Raskl.

Geoff says: “The Cathedral is a shrine to people’s stories; people who have co-created this place, who have lived and laughed, loved and cried here. This guidebook tells a mere fraction of the stories recorded within the walls.”

The book has been funded by the Friends of St Nicholas, an independent charity whose mission is to maintain and beautify the Cathedral and enhance the experience of all those who visit and worship there.

Lesley Lee, the Secretary of the Friends, says: “It’s wonderful that the Cathedral has a new book available – the first official guide for visitors since 2005. The book is a must for anyone interested in local history, sacred architecture or human-interest stories.“

The book’s publication comes 18 months after the completion of the £6m National Lottery Heritage Fund redevelopment project, Common Ground in Sacred Space, which took inspiration from the Cathedral’s ancient roots to reinvent the space as a dynamic hub for worship and community activity. Changes include a remodelled interior and heritage interpretation scheme, improved disabled access and a landscaped outdoor terrace and churchyard.

Newcastle Cathedral: A Treasure Chest of Stories is available now for £5.99 from the Cathedral’s retail area.