Lincoln Cathedral has been named best Large Visitor Attraction at the Greater Lincolnshire and Rutland Tourism Excellence awards.
The event which took place at the Lincolnshire Showground on Friday 28 February recognised the very best of what greater Lincolnshire has to offer to visitors from both near and far.
Ruth Creasey, Visitor Experience Manager at Lincoln Cathedral said that the team at the Cathedral were delighted to have been named as Best Large Visitor Attraction, “It’s a reflection of the hard work and dedication of the whole team of both staff and volunteers at the Cathedral. We welcome more than 100,000 visitors every year, some are local, some come from much further afield, from across the UK, Europe, France, America and China.
“The city of Lincoln and the county of Lincolnshire as a whole have so much to offer, but we are still a bit of a hidden gem. We enjoy building partnerships with other organisations across the tourism sector to spread the word far and wide about everything this amazing county has to offer. Hopefully this award will be another way in which we can do this.”
Visitors are drawn to Lincoln Cathedral to discover the centuries of history and stunning architecture within the stones of this internationally important building. A modern visitor centre houses an exhibition gallery, discovery centre and learning centre as well as a bright and airy café, and a shop with a focus on local producers.
Services take place daily, to which all visitors are welcome and encouraged to join. There are also additional events, activities and exhibitions to be encountered when visiting the Cathedral. These range from family craft activities during school holidays, lunchtime recitals from both the Cathedral’s talented music department and visiting performers.
The Cathedral has been focussing on accessibility and ensuring that as much of the building is as accessible as possible. It hosts a Changing Places facility, is dog friendly throughout and has received much positive feedback about its efforts to ensure all visitors have a first-class experience.
The Very Revd Dr Simon Jones, Dean of Lincoln said that he was proud of the whole team of staff and volunteers at the Cathedral. “Part of our mission is to extend welcome and hospitality to everyone who visits the Cathedral for whatever reason, be that for worship, to explore this inspiring building or to come to one of our many events. Whether people visit us from across the road, or from the other side of the world, we want to make sure that they all receive the same excellent experience. This award is recognition of our commitment to being an accessible, inclusive and friendly place where everyone can be assured of a warm welcome.”
The award judges said that they were impressed with the lengths to which all applicants had gone to ensure a well-rounded experience where the visitors’ needs were taken into consideration at every turn, but that the Cathedral was the ‘standout performer’ in the category, describing it as, “A standout building across the board with an exceptionally knowledgeable and friendly team.”
The win also means that Lincoln Cathedral will progress to the Visit England Awards for Excellence. Judging for these national awards takes place through the spring with the winners being announced in June.
