Salisbury Cathedral reports that thanks to the great weather – and the occasional bouts of heavy rain and storms – its visitor numbers have been steadily climbing since the changes to Covid restrictions came in last month. More than 14,500 people visited the cathedral in July and a steady stream have been booking for the late summer.
And from 9 August, a programme of daily experiences and demonstrations have been launched, including a new Vestments and Vergers encounter devised by the cathedral’s head guide, Chris Barnard, demonstrations of the medieval clock, and Meet the Stonemasons, a chance to watch and chat to the heritage craftsmen and women as they work in the Cloisters.
On 17 August an embroidery exhibition, Threads Through Creation, opens. Created over three years, Threads Through Creation explores the story of the Creation as written in the book of Genesis, the first book in the Bible. Made up of 12 enormous embroidery panels – some as large as 8ft x11ft – stitched onto antique bedsheets, Devon-based artist Jacqui Parkinson depicts different stages in the creation of the world using a combination of eight million stitches and layers of silk, quilting, applique and specially dyed fabric. Matching QR codes allow visitors to listen to the biblical excerpts, while looking at the work that illustrates them.
