50 Treasures: 50 Days #CathedralTreasures – we are in the top ten!

Created to mark Heritage Treasures Day, the Association of English Cathedrals launched a competition to find the best-loved treasure based on their #CathedralTreasures winter campaign.

Christ Church Cathedral’s historic Shrine of St Frideswide has been voted into the top ten, based on likes, shares, and engagements throughout a 50-day social media campaign.

Following the completion of St Frideswide’s Priory (now the Cathedral) the Archbishop of Canterbury in 1180 transferred the remains of St Frideswide into a shrine. These were later placed in the present shrine in 1289. Though destroyed in 1538 at the English Reformation, the precious fragments of the shrine base were recovered in the 19th century and include beautiful stone carvings.

The campaign was based on a recent publication by Janet Gough OBE, author, lecturer and advisor on historic churches and cathedrals, called Deans’ Choice: Cathedral Treasures of England and Wales.

The volume tells the story of 50 treasures from 44 Church of England cathedrals and six cathedrals from the Church in Wales – each one was chosen by the Dean or senior clergy of the cathedral featured.

The Association of English Cathedrals shared these 50 remarkable treasures across their social media platforms over 50 days and ten treasures have made it to the final.

Participants must choose just one and leave their name and email address to be in with the chance to win one of three copies of Janet’s book chosen in a random draw at the end of the competition next month.