ENTRY to Durham Cathedral is temporarily unavailable to its thousands of visitors by the usual familiar grand North Door.
Work is underway to replace the previous timber-framed porches at both Durham Cathedral’s North and South doors with taller glazed internal lobbies, providing improved access to the World Heritage site.
It will also open up views from the main body of the cathedral into the adjoining cloister and also reveal Norman architecture now hidden from view.
The new lobbies will have large central doors, allowing the medieval outer doors to fully open, while both will also feature side pass doors improving access for wheelchair users, families with pushchairs and visitors who have difficulty navigating steps.
The new lobbies will also minimise heat loss and help to protect the 12th Century architecture around the doors.
‘Enabling’ preparatory work has been carried out, with the main construction programme to be finished by May.
Entry and exit is temporarily by way of the Galilee Chapel.
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