Exeter Cathedral

1,000 Years of History | Medieval Café | Treasures Exhibition | Guided Tours | Family Activities | Daily Worship | Events | Historic Landmark 🎶

[Exeter Cathedral @ExeterCathedral]

All are welcome to join us at Exeter Cathedral today at 10:45am for our Armistice Day service with a two-minute silence and prayers.

This service is free to attend, no booking is required

#ExeterCathedral #YourCathedral

[Exeter Cathedral @ExeterCathedral]

It was a pleasure to introduce the Revd Arwen Mary Folkes – Exeter's new Dean from May 2027 – to our Cathedral community this morning.

Please join us in giving Arwen and her family a warm welcome, and do pray for them as they prepare for their move from Eastbourne to Exeter. Arwen will be installed on Sunday 9 May 2027 at Exeter Cathedral.

Photos credit: Emma Solley

#ExeterCathedral #YourCathedral

[Exeter Cathedral @ExeterCathedral]

The new Dean of Exeter Cathedral is to be Revd Arwen Mary Folkes, Downing Street has announced.

Revd Folkes, who is the first woman Dean in the Cathedral’s 970-year history, was born in Barnstaple in North Devon and was baptised in Bideford, before growing up at the Lizard Lighthouse in Cornwall where her father was one of the last live-in lighthouse keepers for Trinity House. She also spent part of her childhood at lighthouses on the North Devon coast.

She is currently Vicar of St Mary-the-Virgin, Eastbourne. She is married to William, and the couple have three children.

She said: “It seems I have been entrusted with a new lighthouse, and a rather bigger one this time! I was born in Barnstaple while my father was a lighthouse keeper on the North Devon coast, so coming to Exeter feels very much like coming home.

“I have always believed a church should be like a lighthouse: steady, watchful and ready to shine for anyone caught in a storm. Exeter Cathedral has been that kind of Christ-light for centuries, through many seasons, and I am honoured and humbled to be called as one of her ‘keepers’ by serving as the 72nd Dean.

“Most of all, I am looking forward to meeting, praying and serving with the people who already keep her light burning, the communities across Devon, and working hard to ensure the Cathedral can shine as the mother church for Exeter and the whole county.”

Read the full story: https://t.co/kx6ShYfTuS

#ExeterCathedral #YourCathedral

[Exeter Cathedral @ExeterCathedral]

Here’s what’s on this week at Exeter Cathedral:

✦ Roof Tour (10 November)
✦ Special Tour: Uncovering the Civil War at Exeter Cathedral (10 November)
✦ G4 Christmas: Exeter Cathedral 2026 (10 November)
✦ Roof Tour (11 November)
✦ Armistice Day Service 2026 (11 November)
✦ Onwards & Upwards Tour (12 November)
✦ Devon Philharmonic Orchestra: Mahler’s Symphony No. 6 (13 November)
✦ Exeter Cathedral Christmas Market (13 November - 13 December)
✦ Roof Tour (14 November)

Find out more: https://t.co/aYHD0oqWEQ

#ExeterCathedral #YourCathedral

[Exeter Cathedral @ExeterCathedral]

Join us in praying over this coming week 🙏

God, our refuge and strength,
bring near the day when wars
shall cease
and poverty and pain shall end,
that earth may know
the peace of heaven
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

#ExeterCathedral #YourCathedral

[Visit Devon @VisitDevon]

Looking for a festive day out? Here are 20 Christmas markets and events to put on the calendar this November and December! 🎁 https://t.co/UgK7tGvZ8l

📸 @ExeterCathedral

[Exeter Cathedral @ExeterCathedral]

This portrait of Dr Nathaniel Rogers (1808-1884) is the frontispiece to his published lecture, ‘Bibliography, or Books and their History’.

In his lecture, Rogers makes the point that books have often resisted ‘the attacks of time’ while other apparently more substantial remnants of the past have not. He says, ‘We see the massive battlements of a castle prostrate in the dust; its walls, once of rocky hardness, fast crumbling into atoms; while manuscripts, penned when its stones were in the quarry, are still perfect in our libraries; their embellishments of gold, silver, and cerulean, still glittering with the freshness of yesterday’.

🔗 To read more visit: https://t.co/kyqNaXfLXZ

#ExeterCathedral #YourCathedral

[Exeter Cathedral @ExeterCathedral]

Tonight's fireworks displays for Bonfire Night are getting us excited for our very own light display inside our centuries-old building this January 😍

Tickets for Lost Worlds by Luxmuralis are already selling fast, and we'd LOVE to see you!

Expect a "breathtaking" immersive sound, light and art show featuring dinosaurs, cave paintings, Anglo-Saxons, castles, knights, mythical kingdoms, The Garden of Eden, the stunning natural world and more 🦖

✦ 6-9 January 2027
✦ £5pp and discounted family tickets available
✦ Timed tickets from early evening until 8pm
✦ Once in, stay for as long as you like!

✦ Book your tickets via: https://t.co/SxKW3yWVCW

We can't wait to welcome you to our very own light show!

#ExeterCathedral #YourCathedral

[Exeter Cathedral @ExeterCathedral]

📸 WINNER: ‘Reflection’ (Junior Category) by Isabel Wood

Congratulations to Isabel on capturing this photograph which won her the junior category award for our 2026 Photography Competition!

“An extraordinary meeting of architecture and human perception… A highly imaginative and original image, demonstrating remarkable creativity and a sophisticated understanding of perspective. A striking and memorable Junior Category Winner.” – Emma Solley, competition judge

📸 Device: iPhone

—

Exeter Cathedral is a photographer's haven. Idea: set aside some precious time in your diary to enjoy at your own pace this centuries-old gem of Devon. Our 'Plan Your Visit' webpage has some useful information: https://t.co/fHgXRgXtYu

Our open times:

✦ Exeter Cathedral
Monday-Saturday: 9am-5pm
Sunday: 11:30am-4pm

✦ Cathedral Café
Monday-Saturday: 10am-3:30pm
Sunday: 11:30am-4pm

✦ Treasures Exhibition
Monday-Saturday: 10am-4pm
Closed on Wednesdays & Sundays

—

This competition has been generously supported by London Camera Exchange (Exeter Store), Exeter College, The Guildhall Shopping Centre, Hotel Indigo Exeter, InExeter, Princesshay Exeter, John Lewis

#ExeterCathedral #YourCathedral

[Exeter Cathedral @ExeterCathedral]

✨ The Exeter Cathedral Christmas Market is opening on Friday 13 November at 10am until Sunday 13 December at 5pm!

Play your visit:
Monday – Wednesday: 10am – 7pm
Thursday – Saturday: 10am – 9pm
Sunday: 11am – 5pm

More info: https://t.co/PHZq8dX9Ka

#ExeterCathedral #YourCathedral

[Exeter Cathedral @ExeterCathedral]

🦙 Our wonderful alpacas are returning! 🥹

Featuring real-life alpacas, enjoy an entertaining retelling of the famous Christmas story inside the magnificent setting of Exeter Cathedral ❤️

Sunday 13 December | Doors open: 2:15pm | Performance: 3pm-4pm

This is a free event for all ages; booking is essential via: https://t.co/PwmS6NKJbZ

#ExeterCathedral #YourCathedral

[Exeter Cathedral @ExeterCathedral]

📸 WINNER: ‘The King of Musical Instruments’ (Black & White Category) by Graham Honeywill

Congratulations to Graham on capturing this photograph which won him the black & white category award for our 2026 Photography Competition!

"This photograph succeeds because it does not merely record a magnificent interior, it makes us feel it. There is grandeur here, certainly, but also stillness, reverence and wonder… Timeless, contemplative and utterly deserving of first place." – Emma Solley, competition judge

📸 Device: OM System OM-5 Mark II

—

Exeter Cathedral is a photographer's haven. Idea: set aside some precious time in your diary to enjoy at your own pace this centuries-old gem of Devon. Our 'Plan Your Visit' webpage has some useful information: https://t.co/fHgXRgWW8W

Our open times:

✦ Exeter Cathedral
Monday-Saturday: 9am-5pm
Sunday: 11:30am-4pm

✦ Cathedral Café
Monday-Saturday: 10am-3:30pm
Sunday: 11:30am-4pm

✦ Treasures Exhibition
Monday-Saturday: 10am-4pm
Closed on Wednesdays & Sundays

—

This competition has been generously supported by London Camera Exchange (Exeter Store), Exeter College, The Guildhall Shopping Centre, Hotel Indigo Exeter, InExeter, Princesshay Exeter, John Lewis

#ExeterCathedral #YourCathedral

[Exeter Cathedral @ExeterCathedral]

Here’s what’s on this week at Exeter Cathedral:

✦ 2026 Annual Library Lecture: The Enlightened Mr Parkinson (4 November)
✦ Medieval Art – Free Workshop: Being Human Festival (5 November)
✦ Roof Tour (5 November)
✦ Voices Of Valjean (5 November)
✦ Roof Tour (6 November)

Find out more: https://t.co/aYHD0oqoPi

#ExeterCathedral #YourCathedral

[Exeter Cathedral @ExeterCathedral]

Join us in praying over this coming week 🙏

God of holiness,
your glory is proclaimed
in every age:
as we rejoice in the faith
of your saints,
inspire us to follow their example
with boldness and joy;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

#ExeterCathedral #YourCathedral

[Exeter Cathedral @ExeterCathedral]

Here’s what’s on this month at Exeter Cathedral:

✦ 2026 Annual Library Lecture: The Enlightened Mr Parkinson (4 November)
✦ Voices Of Valjean (5 November)
✦ Medieval Art – Free Workshop: Being Human Festival (5 November)
✦ Remembrance Sunday Devon County Service 2026 (8 November)
✦ G4 Christmas: Exeter Cathedral 2026 (10 November)
✦ Special Tour: Uncovering the Civil War at Exeter Cathedral (10 November)
✦ Armistice Day Service 2026 (11 November)
✦ Devon Philharmonic Orchestra: Mahler’s Symphony No. 6 (13 November)
✦ Exeter Cathedral Christmas Market 2026 (13 November - 13 Decmeber)
✦ Library & Archives In Focus: What’s In An Archive? (17 November)
✦ Rise Up with Teachers Rock (19 - 20 November)
✦ Gabrieli Roar Presents Mr Handel’s Christmas Story (24 November)
✦ Christmas at the Musicals (26 November)
✦ Art of the Book: The Anatomy of Books (26 November)
✦ The Music of Whitney Houston by Candlelight (27 November)
✦ Christingle Service 2026 (28 November)
✦ Be a Chorister for a Day 2026 (28 November)
✦ Advent Series: The Lord’s Prayer – By Revd Professor Christopher Bryan (29 November - 13 December)
✦ The Advent Procession (29 Novmber)

Find out more: https://t.co/aYHD0oqWEQ

#ExeterCathedral #YourCathedral

[Exeter Cathedral @ExeterCathedral]

📸 WINNER: ‘Passage’ (Colour Category) by Matthew Cooper

Congratulations to Matthew on capturing this photograph which won him the colour category award for our 2026 Photography Competition!

"There is something wonderfully cinematic about the image. The solitude of the lit figure, the rhythm of the aisle, the softness of the light and that unexpected meeting of colour. Nothing feels staged, yet everything feels perfectly composed. A beautifully observed photograph that transforms an ordinary passing moment into something quietly magical.” – Emma Solley, competition judge

📸 Device: Canon R6

—

Exeter Cathedral is a photographer's haven. Idea: set aside some precious time in your diary to enjoy at your own pace this centuries-old gem of Devon. Our 'Plan Your Visit' webpage has some useful information: https://t.co/fHgXRgWW8W

Our open times:

✦ Exeter Cathedral
Monday-Saturday: 9am-5pm
Sunday: 11:30am-4pm

✦ Cathedral Café
Monday-Saturday: 10am-3:30pm
Sunday: 11:30am-4pm

✦ Treasures Exhibition
Monday-Saturday: 10am-4pm
Closed on Wednesdays & Sundays

–

This competition has been generously supported by London Camera Exchange (Exeter Store), Exeter College, The Guildhall Shopping Centre, Hotel Indigo Exeter, InExeter, Princesshay Exeter, John Lewis

#ExeterCathedral #YourCathedral

[Exeter Cathedral @ExeterCathedral]

Tucked behind the corner of the nave altar is a plain and unassuming epitaph, one which you may have walked by without a second thought, one dedicated to the merchant-turned-mayor, John Lant.

To read this well-worn stone like this one, and begin to decipher its history, we employed a special epigraphical technique known as ‘squeezing’. Large sheets of filter paper are soaked in water and laid over the dampened surface of the inscription. The paper is hit firmly with a dense-bristled brush which, once dried and removed, produces a version of the inscription which can be studied more closely away from the site.

🔗 To read more visit: https://t.co/JH3DiTUuNj

#ExeterCathedral #YourCathedral

[Exeter Cathedral @ExeterCathedral]

A first edition of James Parkinson’s essay on the shaking palsy, generously bequeathed to Exeter Cathedral Library by Dr Christopher Gardner-Thorpe in 2025, will be on display at the highly-anticipated 2026 Annual Library Lecture with Dr Cherry Lewis on Wednesday 4 November at 7pm.

Final tickets (£12pp) are remaining via: https://t.co/3uq9Yk5GaQ

What: Annual Library Lecture
Where: Chapter House Cafe
When: Wednesday 4 November at 7pm

Today, Parkinson’s disease is one of the most familiar of all neurological disorders, but few know anything about the man who first identified it. Our 2026 Annual Library Lecture will reveal the life of this pioneering individual – champion of the poor and underprivileged – the apothecary James Parkinson (1755-1824).

We look forward to welcoming you to this fascinating lecture ❤️

#ExeterCathedral #YourCathedral

[Exeter Cathedral @ExeterCathedral]

Our Remembrance Sunday Service will take place at 4pm on Sunday 8 November at Exeter Cathedral.

This special service for the people of Devon will be accompanied by music from Exeter Cathedral Choir, and attended by military and veteran associations. During the service, commemorative wreaths will be passed to the Dean of Exeter, then placed in Exeter Cathedral’s Devon and Dorset Regimental Chapel, before being laid at the War Memorial on Cathedral Green, on Armistice Day.

Everyone is warmly invited to attend this service.

This is a free event; no booking is required.

#ExeterCathedral #YourCathedral

[Exeter Cathedral @ExeterCathedral]

@cantustudioapp Thank you so much! ☺️

[Exeter Cathedral @ExeterCathedral]

Two of our most cherished Christmas performances featuring our very own choir are selling fast as they signal the start of Christmas for many across Devon ❤️

✦ Handel's Messiah: Sunday 6 December | 2:30pm
🔗 https://t.co/57HOwdVuaS

✦ Christmas with the Cathedral Choir: 8, 10 & 12 December | 7pm
🔗 https://t.co/wt4Nvkztda

Perhaps you'd like to start a new special tradition, or this may be your annual festive delight. Whatever your reason, we very much look forward to warmly welcoming you.

#ExeterCathedral #YourCathedral