11 Sep 2025
Press Release: Exhibition brings record-breaking growth at Durham Cathedral Museum over summer
A record number of people have visited Durham Cathedral this summer to see three rare Magna Cartas up close. Over 15,650 people have been drawn to see the historic documents on display in Durham Cathedral’s Museum so far.
Since the exhibition opened on 11 July, the museum has seen over double the amount of visitors from the previous year, with thousands more visiting the Cathedral itself and seeing the supporting art installations that form part of the wider Magna Carta and The North exhibition.
Andrew Usher, Chief Officer: Visitor Experience and Enterprise at Durham Cathedral says,
“We’ve been really pleased with the response to the artworks and the volume of people being inspired to see the exhibition. Visitors aren’t only coming to see rare documents, they’re staying to explore the cathedral, to reflect on the impact of Magna Carta today, and contribute to the everchanging artwork in the Nave which is shaped by the values that matter to them most.”
Inside Durham Cathedral Museum lies a rare opportunity (until 2 November 2025), where visitors can view the only surviving 1216 Magna Carta, alongside issues from 1225 and 1300, and three Forest Charters. These extraordinary documents, over 800 years old, remain enduring symbols of social justice in the world today. The documents are then brought to life through contemporary artworks and interactive installations throughout the cathedral.
After viewing the historic charters, visitors are invited to use a touchscreen to select what they would include in a modern-day charter. These principles are directly linked to The Words That Bind Us, a light-based art installation by Nicola Anthony in the cathedral’s Nave. As visitos vote for a word or phrase that resonates with them the most, the installation responds, growing, rippling, and evolving in real time.
And the most popular phrase so far? …“Peace in our time.”
Strong themes have emerged around the global climate crisis and the current conflicts that dominate headlines. Visitors have responded with deep emotion and praise. Each phrase has a connection with different visitors for different reasons. When asked which phrase which resonated most with her, visitor Sonja from Pakistan, shared that it was ‘It’s easy, be responsible,’” reflecting on the installation’s message of personal accountability. Jane from South Wales described the exhibitions features as “brilliant and resonate a sense of kindness and humanity,” while Kathryn from Bourton-on-the-Water urged: “Every child should see the Magna Carta exhibition, its mind blowing. A real sense of our history.”
Magna Carta and The North forms a powerful narrative, one that bridges centuries and cultures, inviting reflection on justice, equality, and the shared human experience. You can see Magna Carta and The North at Durham Cathedral until 2 November 2025. For more information visit: www.durhamcathedral.co.uk/magnacarta
Contact Information
Clare Knowles
Head of Marketing & Digital
Durham Cathedral
clare.knowles@durhamcathedral.co.uk
Notes to editors
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Magna Carta, or the ‘Great Charter’, has been described as the most famous document in English history and a cornerstone of modern democracy. First issued in 1215, it was the first document that put into writing that the king and his government were not above the law, in order to prevent the king from exploiting his power. With three clauses from the 1225 Magna Carta still in force today, the document remains a cornerstone of British democracy.
Durham Cathedral is a Christian Church of the Anglican Communion, the shrine of St Cuthbert, the seat of the Bishop of Durham and a focus of pilgrimage and spirituality in North East England. It inhabits a treasured sacred space set in the natural and human landscape of the World Heritage Site.
Its purpose is to worship God, share the gospel of Jesus Christ, welcome all who come, celebrate and pass on its rich Christian heritage and discover its place in God’s creation.
The building of Durham Cathedral commenced in 1093 and took around 40 years to complete. It replaced a Saxon cathedral built by the Community of St Cuthbert after it arrived in Durham in 995 following its flight from the ‘Holy Island’ of Lindisfarne 80 miles North of Durham. The body of St Cuthbert is enshrined in the Feretory at Durham Cathedral and the Tomb of the Venerable Bede is in The Galilee Chapel. The Cathedral existed as a Benedictine Monastery until 1539 when it became one of the Church of England’s major Cathedrals.
It continues to be a focus for pilgrimage and attracts visitors from all over the world. The Cathedral has internationally important collections of artefacts, manuscripts and books that include St Cuthbert’s coffin and his pectoral cross; superb examples of Anglo-Saxon craftsmanship. Durham Cathedral is often referred to as the best example of Romanesque architecture in Europe, or as American writer Bill Bryson put it, ‘the best Cathedral on planet earth.’
Since its construction Durham Cathedral has been alive with people and a centre for community activity. The Cathedral is home to a vibrant worshipping community and continues to celebrate the English Choral Tradition with sung services by its highly acclaimed Choir. As a new century unfolds Durham Cathedral aspires to enrich the many different ways in which it engages with people and organisations. It is cherished equally by those who live, work and study in the region and by those who come to visit.
Find more information at www.durhamcathedral.co.uk
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