Winchester Cathedral opens the Fleury Building

Winchester Cathedral sees its first extension in 500 years with the opening of the Fleury Building this Saturday the 5^th of March.

Named after the Fleury Abbey in France, where Saint Benedict is said to be buried, one of the important additions brought to the cathedral includes extra storage space. This new space will be used to free up the North Transept, one of the original and unspoilt Norman areas dating back to the construction of the Cathedral in 1079.

Restoration and maintenance work has been done on the Cathedral for years. The east end was saved from completely collapsing 100 years ago, and in recent times was maintained diligently by cathedral architect, Peter Bird.

However this is the first entirely new addition to the Cathedral building since the Tudor era. The new extension was one of the last works by Bird, who passed away just a month before its completion.

Dean of Winchester and the Very Revd James Atwell said, “A new building attached to the Cathedral is much more than a very useful and practical extension, it is evidence of the continuing growth and life of the Cathedral and its community.”