Cathedral to hold service of thanksgiving following devastating fire

A special service of thanksgiving will be held this Saturday in Exeter Cathedral, two weeks on from the devastating fire which ripped through historic properties on the Cathedral green and destroyed the historic Royal Clarence hotel.

Members of all emergency services have been invited to the service and will be thanked for their heroic efforts to stop the fire from spreading.

The Dean, the Very Revd Dr Jonathan Draper, said he hoped all those who had been affected in any way by the fire would come along to the short service.

“We want to thank the emergency services for their heroic efforts to put out the fire. I know we, and so many people in Exeter, are profoundly grateful to them. And though we are all immensely saddened by the damage that has been done, we also want to say thank you for the fact there were no fatalities or injuries.”

The service begins at 11.00 and will last around 45 minutes. The music will be led by the University of Exeter Chapel Choir.