Living Stones: English Cathedrals as Sacred Spaces in Changing Times
/In 2025 Theos Research was commissioned to undertake a study of Anglican cathedrals. The study, ‘Living Stones; English Cathedrals as Sacred Spaces in Changing Times’ was published in May 2026. It drew on a nationally representative YouGov poll, a separate survey of over 1,300 cathedral visitors, and qualitative fieldwork involving 146 interviewees across six representative cathedrals. Rochester was one of the six. The report traces how cathedrals are changing, and what pressures they face, ultimately calling for greater recognition, both financial and societal, of cathedrals’ status as civic, cultural, and spiritual assets.
You can read the full report here.
As part of the study the six cathedrals received their own short report. Rochester’s offered some fascinating insights. The authors note;
“The survey reinforces the impression of Rochester as open to visitors and strongly shaped by events and public use. It performs better than most in areas like visitor welcome, café, educational facilities, community feeling, appreciation of history, and support for cultural events. Respondents especially value the cathedral as a place that invites people in, opens its doors widely, and supports community life.
This is very visible in the open text question, where Rochester visitors especially praise events, community access, welcome and the building as a public and community space – whereas visitors at other cathedrals tend to value music, history, architecture and worship more.”
