A New Tour and Hi-Tech App for Heritage Open Day
Gloucester Cathedral has lots of new and exciting things to do on Heritage Open Day, all of them for Free.
This year we offer a very special new tour ‘Pottering around the Cathedral’. Join us to find out what it was like behind the scenes when the Harry Potter movies were filmed at Gloucester Cathedral. Visit the locations used in the films, including the door to the Gryffindor Common Room, the corridor where the fateful words appeared, ‘The Chamber of Secrets has been opened’, and the pillar behind which Harry, Ron and Hermione hid from the troll. Hear about the special effects and tricks used to transform the magnificent cloisters into the corridors of Hogwarts.
These tours are free and will depart from outside of the gift shop at 10.30am, 11.30am and 12.30pm on Saturday 12th September. All are welcome to just turn up and join a tour.
Between 10.30am and 3.00pm families can enjoy ‘Hats, Hoods & Helmets’, a trail that will lead you around this amazing building in search of all different types of headwear. When you have finished the trail you can dress up and take some memorable family photos of your day with us, don’t forget your camera!
Another first for this year’s History Festival is the ‘Let’s Explore’ App allowing visitors to locate different heritage sites around Gloucester and use a smart phone or tablet to access information about different features at each of the locations.
Once downloaded you will be able to use the high-tech, but fun and easy to navigate App, at Gloucester Cathedral, St Mary de Crypt Church, Llanthony Secunda Priory, The Southgate Street Townscape Heritage Initiative and Gloucester Waterways Museum.
There is no need to follow a set route – users can pick what they want to find out about, how much they want to look at and can do it in any order. The Cathedral will be using ‘image recognition’ which means you simply point your device at a sign and it will give you interesting information that you can also save to your device to look at later at home. Currently the app only works on an Android smart phone or tablet. For more information visit www.lets-explore.com
The Stonemason's Yard will be open to visitors between 10.00am and 3.00pm. Visitors are invited to drop in and meet Master Mason Pascal Mychalysin and his team and see their work up close.
The historic Parliament, Henry and Laud Rooms will be open to the public on Saturday from 10.00 am - 3.30 pm. Situated at the West end of the Cathedral in Church House, tradition has it that in 1378 Richard II held a Parliament on this site in the Great Hall of the old Gloucester Abbey.
Free Cathedral Tower Tours will take place at 11.30am, 1.30pm and 2.30pm on Saturday 12 September. There are 269 steps to the top of the tower, and 269 back down again so anyone wishing to take part must be reasonably fit and not afraid of heights. Children must be aged 6 and over and accompanied by an adult.
Also on Saturday from 10.30am - 4.00pm, admission to the Whispering Gallery will be free of charge. Entry to the Gallery includes the chance to experience a close up view of the Great East window of the Cathedral.
Gloucester Cathedral regrets that neither the Whispering Gallery nor the Parliament Suite is wheelchair accessible – access for both sites is via a staircase.
At 11.00am join local poet Peter Wyton (BBC Gloucestershire’s Breakfast Bard) who will perform his poems at various stations around the Cathedral. Meet at the South Porch.
You can also visit our ‘Exploring Art Through Ageing’ Exhibition currently on display in the South Transept. Throughout 2015 New Brewery Arts has been working with artist Robert Race to create a new commissioned piece 'Getting On' on the theme of ageing. Commissioned in January 2015, the goal was to create an automaton on the theme of Ageing. An important part of the project was to encourage and highlight continuing creativity for older people. To that end, Robert brought his skills to OSJCT’s Millbrook Lodge in Brockworth near Gloucester. Working with residents, he inspired them to print, cut, fold and craft to create their own small automata – something new every week.
When you have explored all the superb and exciting opportunities on offer why not take some time out and join us for Choral Evensong at 4.30pm where you can listen to the breath-taking sound of the Cathedral Choir at the start of the music year and just unwind after a busy day?
We look forward to seeing you and hope you have a wonderful day exploring all we have to offer here at Gloucester Cathedral.
Explore Gloucestershire
11 September 2015
For further information.
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