Northern European Cathedrals Conference 2026
Tuesday 3 – Friday 6 February 2026 | Exeter Cathedral, England
Cathedrals: Seats of Wisdom
Exeter Cathedral is proud to host the Northern European Cathedrals Conference 2026.
Drawing on the theme of ‘Cathedrals: Seats of Wisdom’, this conference will seek to explore cathedrals as places of Northern European identity and culture, wisdom and rootedness.
Central to the conference will be an exploration of Exeter Cathedral’s 10th century Exeter Book – a UNESCO World Memory object, widely regarded as the oldest surviving book in the English language – with particular focus on its cosmopolitan Northern European content and identity.
We will also consider what the accumulated wisdom of our cathedrals might offer to our communities and churches as we meet the social and geopolitical challenges of our time.
Exeter Cathedral – the cathedral church for the English county of Devon – is an Anglo-Saxon foundation, established by King Edward the Confessor in 1050. It bears witness to the stability and adaptability of the church through the regime change of the Norman Conquest, Plagues, the Reformation, Civil War and Restoration of the Monarchy.
About Exeter & Devon
The city of Exeter was transformed in the 20th century by war damage and reconstruction, and by the establishment of the University of Exeter – one of the UK’s leading Universities. In recent decades, the relocation of the UK Meteorological Office to Exeter and its partnership with the University of Exeter has made Exeter a world leader in climate research and meteorological monitoring.
Devon is England’s second-largest county, with fabled landscapes, extensive coastlines, and a rich agricultural and Naval economy.
Travel & accommodation
Exeter is two hours by train from London, and one hour from the port of Plymouth. Exeter Airport is served by daily flights from Amsterdam and Dublin. Bristol airport is 100km to the north with daily flights from across Europe, Scandinavia and the Baltic States.
There is a wide and extensive range of hotel accommodation within a five minute walk of Exeter Cathedral.
Booking
Booking will go live at the end of May 2025!