Dear Members,
This year we’re joining a service of Evensong at Canterbury Cathedral again on Sunday, 16 November. Due to changes with Canterbury Cathedral’s policy on visiting ringers, there are some changes to the arrangements from last year. If you wish to ring, please ensure you read on for joining instructions, and submit your details by 5pm, on Tuesday 10 November.
Please note that if you do not submit your details via the Visiting Ringer’s form by this deadline then unfortunately you will not be able to ring. This form needs to be completed even if you have completed one before or have visited the cathedral previously.
You will be allocated a timeslot to ring and this will be posted in the Community Studio on Sunday 16 November, where tea is being served. You should arrive at the tower door five minutes prior to your allocated slot.
Evensong starts at 5:30pm and takes place in the glorious setting of the Cathedral Quire, lasting about 45 minutes. Please ensure you arrive no later than 15 minutes before the start of the service.
Times:
3pm – Community Studio opens. A list of allocated ringing slots will be available.
3:30pm – Tea, coffee and light refreshments available in the Community Studio. A donation towards the refreshments is encouraged.
4pm – Ringing
5pm – Doors for the service open
5:15pm – Please be seated for the service by this time
5:30pm – Evensong service starts
Ringing:
If you’d like to take part in the pre-service ringing, please complete a Visiting Ringer’s form. In line with the Cathedral’s new policy, this needs to be submitted by 5pm on Tuesday, 10th November. Regrettably, it will not be possible to ring without submitting the form in advance. The form can be found here: https://www.canterbury-cathedral.org/worship/bell-ringing/#visiting
To manage the number of ringers in the tower and South Transept, and to ensure a pleasant and safe experience for all, a 15 minute time slot will be allocated to each ringer, once the Visitor forms are received and analysed.
You will be allocated a time slot to ring and this will be posted in the Community Studio on Sunday 16 November, where tea is being served. You should arrive at the tower door five minutes prior to your allocated slot.
The Community Studio will be available for anyone who needs to wait.
The bells will be available from 4pm, with the last slot reserved for a service touch and the lowering of the bells. As was the case last year, Stuart Palin, the Canterbury District Ringing Master, will organise the ringing.
Special access requirements:
If you have specific access requirements to attend the service, please email by no later than 5pm on Tuesday, 10th November.
Getting to Canterbury Cathedral:
By car
Canterbury is well connected to both the M20 and M2, with several car parks in the city centre. For more information, visit the Canterbury City Council website (https://www.canterbury.gov.uk/parking-and-roads/find-somewhere-park).
There’s also a Park and Ride scheme (https://www.canterbury.gov.uk/parking-and-roads/park-and-ride), with buses running regularly from the outskirts of Canterbury.
Parking in the Cathedral grounds is only available for Blue Badge holders, subject to limited availability and prior arrangement by contacting or calling 01227 865279.
By train
There are two main train stations in Canterbury, and both are within walking distance of the cathedral.
From Canterbury West Station: Canterbury West is the closer station for a pedestrian route to the cathedral. The walk is about 0.6 to 0.7 miles (approximately 1 km).
From Canterbury East Station: Canterbury East is located on the other side of the city centre from the cathedral. The walking distance is approximately 0.5 to 0.8 miles (about 0.8 to 1.2 km), though it can be slightly longer than the route from Canterbury West.
By bike
Canterbury is one of the best cycling hubs in Kent and the Cathedral has limited bike racks on site for those arriving on two wheels.
We look forward to seeing you there.