Yesterday I was at Southwell Minster in Nottinghamshire.
This was an outstanding visit for me of over 30 years standing, from when I was travelling the rivers and canals in the area, but never had time to visit Southwell.
It is also the first visit of a pilgrimage for me around every Church of England Cathedral (technically the third as I have just done revisits to Carlisle and Newcastle to get my pilgrim's passport stamped).
I actually wasn't aware that there was an embroidery exhibition happening- called Threads through the Bible. The exhibition is simply a stunning project and is IMO worth going out of your way to see.
It is at Southwell until 5 May, then
9 May to 29 June – ELY CATHEDRAL
Threads through the Cross (a third of the exhibition)
3 July – 4 August – RIPON CATHEDRAL
7 August – 22 September – SHEFFIELD CATHEDRAL
25 September – 3 November – GUILDFORD CATHEDRAL
2026
Threads through the Bible | Creation + Cross + Revelation (the whole exhibition)
28 January – 1 March – BATH ABBEY + ST MICHAELS + ST SWITHENS
8 May – 28 June – CHESTER CATHEDRAL
2 July – 31 August – LINCOLN CATHEDRAL
Southwell itself (both town and Minster/Cathedral [it is both]) are one of those little known great locations in the UK. Chock full of British History (in the Cathedral itself there are even remains of the Tessarae floor of an old Roman Villa- the previous user of the site). There is also the Old Archbishop's Palace and the beautiful gardens behind the Palace.
By public transport there is a half hourly bus from Nottingham and an hourly bus from Newark (on the East Coast main line).
It was well beyond the time I had available yesterday but there is also the National Trust Old Workhouse and Infirmary to visit in the Town- very well signposted.
The visit (irrespective of the exhibition) was worth every minute and £ of the 900 mile, 29 hour round trip which it was for me. The exhibition was wonderful icing on the cake.
(For me it was train Cumbria to Glasgow, National Express bus Glasgow to Nottingham via Birmingham, city bus Nottingham to Southwell, free delay repay train ticket Nottingham to Cumbria changing at Leeds and Carlisle).