'Pilgrimage and England's cathedrals' employs a ground-breaking combination of interdisciplinary perspectives and methodologies to identify and analyse the core dynamics of pilgrimage and sacred sites in England from the 11th to 21st centuries, to assess the growing significance of English cathedrals as sacred/heritage sites today, and to inform management of/public engagement with these iconic buildings. Set against the background of the worldwide growth of pilgrimage and the increasing importance of sacred sites, the project's innovative approaches and timely research agenda also contribute substantially to defining and establishing the emerging field of Pilgrimage Studies. At the heart of this project is a new, wide-ranging analysis of the meaning and breadth of 'pilgrimage' and the role of sacred places past and present. Why did pilgrimage matter in the past and why does it still matter today? In exploring these issues, the project focuses attention on the role of cathedrals: places where, uniquely, national and local history and identity, material culture and traditional and emerging religious practice can be encountered together. Pilgrimage was central to the development and status of English cathedrals in the Middle Ages and although most shrines were destroyed at the Reformation, many of the great churches and monasteries which housed them remain as cathedrals today, literally shaped by their pilgrim past and retaining a strong pilgrimage legacy. Anglican cathedrals are increasingly refocusing on and reinstating shrines, reflecting an international multi-faith phenomenon in which an estimated 200 million people across the world engage in pilgrimage and religious tourism annually. Cathedrals in England are the group of sacred sites visited by the largest, most diverse group of people. A recent report reveals that 27% of adults resident in England visited an Anglican cathedral at least once in the previous year (THEOS, 2012). Moreover, over 40% of those visitors came from faith traditions other than Christianity or had no religious affiliation. This suggests that cathedrals are seen as shaped by, but transcending, Christianity, offering unique access to the 'spiritual' within the context of history, heritage and culture, and providing meaningful spaces for people of all faiths and none. These developments demand fuller, rigorous, multi-disciplinary investigation so that the implications for cathedrals, visitors and communities can be explored in detail. The project uses 4 cathedrals, Canterbury, York, Durham and Westminster (chosen to represent a range of historical, social, geographical, cultural and denominational settings, and varying policies on charging for entry) as historical and contemporary case studies. Research methods include analysis of architectural and visual material, archives and contemporary documents. Interviews, photo/audio-diaries, and participant observation will be employed to gather and examine the experiences and views of cathedral staff, volunteers, pilgrims, tourists and local residents (of all faiths or none). English cathedrals face multiple challenges as they seek to balance meeting the needs of congregations and pilgrims with remaining accessible to wider communities and tourists, and funding the maintenance of their historic buildings. This project provides insight into the historical and contemporary significance and use of spaces in and around cathedrals and analyses the specific connections between spiritual practice, cultural and historic interest, and individual, local and national senses of belonging. Outputs will include books, journal articles, conferences, a website, and an interactive animated visualization of medieval pilgrim experience. Findings will inform a range of academic disciplines, enhance visitor provision, tourism strategies and heritage management in English cathedrals and other sites, and provide resources for use by schools and the wider public.

The Becket Connection offers a unique opportunity to model creative collaboration and technological innovation in bringing history and heritage to life for local, national and international audiences, through the story of one of the most famous and controversial figures of the Middle Ages. CONTEXT 2020 will mark 900 years since the birth of Thomas Becket, 850 years since his murder in Canterbury Cathedral, and 800 years since the 'translation' of his relics. This triple anniversary coincides with 'The Canterbury Journey', a £24.7 million conservation, education and interpretation project at the Cathedral (completion 2021) which will ensure a long-term legacy for resources created. Moreover, a newly-founded Heritage Forum convened by the City Council is now seeking to reinvigorate the city's World Heritage site, and broaden and enhance Canterbury's tourism offer by connecting the much-visited Cathedral more closely to the city's many other outstanding historic sites. This Follow-on initiative is driven by: - new understanding of Becket's medieval cult and present-day visitor needs generated by the 2014-17 AHRC 'Pilgrimage and England's Cathedrals' (PEC) project - the digital visualisation expertise of the Centre for the Study of Christianity & Culture (Univ. of York) - collaboration with the British Museum, Canterbury Archaeological Trust, Canterbury Museums & Galleries, Museum of London - educational needs - newly emerging heritage/tourism goals. Collaboration with PEC partners and wide-ranging consultation with the City Council, business and community groups, heritage, tourism and cultural bodies in Canterbury, have revealed significant new heritage-tourism, educational and community engagement possibilities. The PEC project created detailed digital reconstructions of four key sites inside the cathedral (including Becket's shrine) which are already changing perceptions of pilgrim experience at Canterbury. The Follow-on proposal will create a new digital model of the whole Cathedral set in the medieval City of Canterbury, thus placing the interior models in a broader geocultural context, including medieval pilgrim routes and key buildings. OUTCOMES This innovative, interactive Cathedral/City model (amplified by other PEC research data) will have seven main outcomes for key heritage, educational, cultural, business and local community partners: CONNECTING CATHEDRAL AND CITY - Use in the new permanent Cathedral exhibition, revealing the multi-layered relationship between the Cathedral, Becket's shrine, and the city which grew in response to his cult and pilgrim needs. - Providing a visual foundation for presenting a more integrated tourism offer for Canterbury, enhancing connections between the Cathedral, the City, and the rich multiplicity of heritage sites. CONNECTING BECKET WITH HIS TIME A new online/Flash Drive education resource (particularly for History, Literature and RE curricula) SHAPING BECKET 2020 MUSEUM EXHIBITIONS/ACTIVITIES Collaboration with the British Museum (providing digital assets for a major exhibition), Canterbury Museums and Museum of London EXPLORING THE BECKET STORY TODAY THROUGH WORD AND IMAGE Supporting drama, poetry, art and craft workshops, with the Marlowe Theatre and the Canterbury Journey, to stimulate creative contemporary responses to the Becket story from all age-groups and backgrounds CONNECTING BECKET AND PILGRIMAGE TODAY Shaping visitor trails and services for 2020, when the Cathedral also hosts the international Lambeth Conference ENHANCING CANTERBURY-LONDON TOURISM LINKS Connecting Becket's cult to his influence on London and its landscape for the Becket 2020 website USING HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES TO INFORM CURRENT MANAGEMENT Conference for managers of sacred sites, statutory advisors (including Historic England), historians, theologians, social scientists, reviewing current moves to restore shrines and relics to Anglican cathedrals