Five English cathedrals have introduced new digital guides in partnership with Bloomberg Connects.
Visitors to Birmingham, Carlisle, Coventry and Liverpool Cathedrals, as well as York Minster will be able to access free multilingual guides featuring audio, video and text content. QR codes on site can be used to access the content.
The move was pioneered by Liverpool Cathedral, which first used Bloomberg Connects to introduce a new audio tour for the Cathedral’s tower.
The cathedral said, “It’s another step in making our visitor experience more engaging, accessible and immersive. When we launched on Bloomberg Connects, we became the first cathedral in the UK and Europe to join the platform.
"Since then we’ve continued to develop the guide, using audience insights and visitor behaviour to shape new content that genuinely enhances a visit.
"What started with just 7 audio stops has now grown to 68, covering everything from our architecture and stained glass to exhibitions, artworks, hidden stories and now our Tower Experience.
“It’s been incredibly rewarding to see the guide evolve into something that helps thousands of visitors explore the Cathedral in a deeper, more meaningful way, while also making our interpretation more accessible to audiences from around the world.”
Coventry Cathedral launched its new digital guide on 25 May in conjunction with the 64th anniversary of its consecration.
Dr Andrew Hines, Coventry Cathedral’s Head of Heritage and Interpretation, said, “We are living through a time of fragmentation in our communities. Heritage sites offer rare spaces of common ground - places where people can encounter each other’s stories and reflect on their own.”
Dr Hines said the new digital guide served to open up the cathedral, not only for locals, but for the wider world.
“At a time when there is such pride and momentum across the city, this feels like the perfect moment to invite people to reconnect - with place, with history, and with one another. This is about access, inclusion, and meaningful connection, at the heart of our mission of reconciliation," he said.
