Sherborne Abbey has launched a fundraising appeal to help fund a programme of improvements aimed at making the historic building more accessible and easier to use for visitors, worshippers and volunteers.
The Abbey is seeking to raise just over £1 million towards a project that will deliver new toilet facilities, improved wheelchair access and better hospitality areas, while respecting the character of the Grade I listed building.
More than 50,000 people visit the Abbey each year for services, concerts and community events, yet it currently has only one lavatory, reached via a steep spiral staircase. Under the plans, the existing vestry will be adapted to provide accessible toilets, while a new vestry will be created beneath the organ loft.
The project will also include the installation of a wheelchair lift to improve access to the Lady Chapel and Ambulatory, together with enhanced hospitality facilities.
Permission for the scheme was granted in December 2025 following more than four years of consultation and planning. Work has now begun with the relocation of historic monuments in preparation for the first phase of construction.
More than £540,000 has already been raised or pledged towards the project, which church leaders say will help ensure the Abbey continues to serve the community while preserving its historic fabric for future generations.
The Dorset Life Community News section is sponsored by Wessex Internet
