BBC News, on UK Politics, 8 November 2026

0.0out of 10Nothing found

Peterborough Cathedral marks 25 years since 'catastrophic' fire

No framing issues found.

Cathedral marks 25 years since 'catastrophic' fire Image source, Press Association Image caption, The fire service was praised for its prompt action, saving Peterborough Cathedral from being destroyed By Helen Burchell Published 7 hours ago A cathedral is holding an event to mark 25 years since a "catastrophic" fire threatened to destroy it. The fire broke out in a stack of plastic chairs in Peterborough Cathedral on 22 November 2001, resulting in extensive smoke damage to stonework and the windows.

The cathedral said at the time it was "only thanks to the prompt actions of the Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service" that the building was saved. The event to mark the journey of "restoration and recovery" will take place on 23 November. The deliberate fire started near the choir stalls in the 12th Century building and the arsonist was never caught. The clean-up cost was estimated at £1.25m, much of which came from the cathedral's supporters.

Image caption, The fire on 22 November 2001 caused significant smoke damage and some windows blew out To mark 25 years since the fire, the event later this month , external will include "a series of talks, personal reflections and discussion", the cathedral said. It will "explore the night of the fire, the remarkable restoration and recovery that followed, and the lasting impact it has had on the cathedral and its community". Do you have a story suggestion for Peterborough?

Contact us below. Get in touch Your Voice Contact form Contact form Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds , Facebook , external , Instagram , external and X , external . Related topics Peterborough More on this story Service to mark cathedral fire 20th anniversary Published 21 November 2021 Cathedral fire 'was a blessing' Published 22 November 2011 Cathedral fire may be arson Related internet links Peterborough Cathedral

Read the original article on bbc.com (opens in a new tab)
About this analysis

BBC News reports that Peterborough Cathedral will hold an event on 23 November to mark 25 years since a deliberate fire in 2001 caused extensive smoke damage. It gives the date, the cause, the cost of the clean-up and the credit given to the fire service, and attributes the cathedral's statements to the cathedral. Nothing in it misleads the reader.

What it gets right

  • “The deliberate fire started near the choir stalls in the 12th Century building and the arsonist was never caught.”

    The BBC says plainly that the fire was set deliberately and that nobody was caught, rather than leaving the cause vague.

  • “The cathedral said at the time it was "only thanks to the prompt actions of the Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service" that the building was saved.”

    The praise for the fire service is attributed to the cathedral and dated, so the reader knows whose account it is.

  • “The clean-up cost was estimated at £1.25m, much of which came from the cathedral's supporters.”

    The figure is given as an estimate, with a plain note of where the money came from.

Spot something we missed? Report this article

More from BBC News

  1. 8 NovClosed Dorset school break-ins lead to parents patrolling grounds0.0
  2. 8 NovCould giant hands hold key to unlocking Bradford's railway dreams?0.0
  3. 8 NovNorthampton and Daventry regeneration bids to go before cabinet0.0
  4. 8 NovNorfolk Police launch safety campaign to test drivers' eyesight0.0
  5. 8 NovCottenham new homes to be offered on affordable housing schemes3.0

Everything we scored from BBC News