ON Tuesday, May 28, Bradford Cathedral will open its doors to welcome families into the Cathedral for a range of activities.

These include some themed around the English Civil War of 1642-43, referencing the Siege of Bradford and the famous Battle of the Steeple which took place in the grounds.

Taking place from 10am until 2pm, the activities are free to take part in and include family guided tours at 11am and 1pm.

There, visitors can find out all about the fascinating details of the cathedral building, as well as the self-guided Pelican Trail where children can learn about the history of Bradford Cathedral whilst searching for the pelicans throughout the building.

Alongside the tour and trails, there are paper craft activities inspired by the Cathedral’s stained glass windows, and the opportunity for children to design and create their own heraldic shields.

There will also be activities based around the Civil War history of the Cathedral.

Maggie Myers, Director of Education and Visitors, said of previous family activity days: “The Cathedral is such an inspiring space, and has so much potential for children and families to come and explore.

“The children that had been here before on school trips were really proud that they were explaining things to the other members of their family.

“There were new things to see, such as the new exhibition.

“Many people who came were not Christians or familiar with churches and they were really interested in learning more about Christianity, and also the history of the building.

“A big thing we get from visitors who haven’t been in before is that they didn’t know how important this building is to Bradford’s history, not just in terms of Christianity but to the city itself.

“People find that so interesting and inspiring; even the parents took a lot away from the visit, and enjoyed themselves.

“Many don’t know how much there is to see and learn about in the Cathedral.

“Because we’re teachers and know a lot about the building we’re able to interpret the Cathedral for whatever age group or combination of family members that we’ve got coming.

“There’s enough expertise between us to answers lots of questions.

“It’s always a very interesting trip out. If you want to do something different, come here.

“If you’ve lived here a long time but you’ve never been in the Cathedral you’ll be pleasantly surprised by what you find.

“Bradford Cathedral is a lovely stop on the way. You can spend a few hours here doing the activities, going on a tour, or reading about the Cathedral, and then explore even more of Bradford.”