Visitor notices

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October 2025 – Changes to Opening Times and Access

(The Nave is the central space of the Cathedral, where the congregation and attendees usually gather for services and events.)

Saturday 4 October
The Nave will close at approximately 10am. Entry to the Cathedral will be via the East Entrance only. Morning services will go ahead as usual.

Tuesday 7, Wednesday 8, and Wednesday 15 October
The Cathedral Nave will host events for large groups of local schoolchildren. Visitors are kindly asked to be mindful of noise levels during these times. Please note there may also be restrictions on photography and video recording in the Nave.

Monday 20 October
Café 16, located in the Cathedral Refectory, will close early at 3pm. It will reopen at its usual time of 10am on Tuesday 21 October.

Wednesday 22 October
Café 16, located in the Cathedral Refectory, will be closed all day on Wednesday 22 October. This is due to essential, pre-scheduled electrical testing. It will reopen at the usual time of 10am on Thursday 23 October.

Step-free access

We are currently awaiting essential maintenance to our historic Lantern Tower, which will be carried out in collaboration with Newcastle City Council. During this time, the main step-free West Entrance is temporarily closed.

Please follow the signs to the East Entrance, where step-free access remains available. Our website’s Access Information page has been updated to reflect this temporary change.

Advent & Christmas 2025

Day	Cathedral opening times
Christmas Eve – Wednesday 24 December 2025	Open as usual (Café 16 closed)
Christmas Day – Thursday 25 December 2025	8am-approx. 11:30am (Cathedral closes after the 10am service) (Café 16 closed)
Friday 26 December 2025	8am-12 midday (Café 16 closed)
Saturday 27 December 2025	8am-12 midday (Café 16 closed)
Sunday 28 December 2025	8am-approx. 11:30am (Cathedral closes after the 10am service) (Café 16 closed)
Monday 29 December 2025	8am-2pm (Café 16 closed)
Tuesday 30 December – Friday 2 January 2026	8am-12 midday (Café 16 closed)
Saturday 3 January 2026	8am-4pm, i.e. times return to normal (Café 16 re-opens)

Lantern Tower maintenance: Impact & progress

Last updated May 2025

Essential work is still required to safeguard our historic Lantern Tower for future generations. This project is a collaborative effort between Newcastle City Council and Newcastle Cathedral, supported by specialist advisors Heritage Stone Access and structural engineer Charles Blackett-Ord.

We are currently awaiting the start of this maintenance. As a result, tours of the Lantern Tower remain postponed.

In the meantime, you can still discover the rich history of this iconic structure by watching the short film below, presented by local guide Alex Iles.

Cathedral clock and bell ringing

In addition to the step-free access changes mentioned above, please note that the clock on the Cathedral Tower may not display the correct time until we can access its internal mechanism. Furthermore, our regular bell-ringing activities are temporarily suspended during the ongoing repairs. We apologise for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding as this work continues to preserve the Cathedral’s heritage.