Church of England cathedrals have seen attendances rise by over a third in the last decade.Average weekly attendance at services at Church of England cathedrals increased by 35 per cent between 2002 and 2012 despite a 1.4 million drop in the number of overall visitors, according to a report published by the Archbishops' Council for Research and Statistics.
The rise in worshippers was almost entirely due a substantial increase in the number of people attending midweek services like Evensong.
Attendance at midweek services has almost doubled, from 8,900 in 2002 to 16,800 in 2012. Average weekly attendance at the Church's 42 cathedrals plus Westminster Abbey was 35, 800 in 2012.
Liverpool Cathedral, which is the biggest in Europe, has experienced a 48 per cent increase in the number of mid-week worshippers since 2004.
Stuart Haynes, director of communications, said that the cathedral had to think creatively to bring in tourists and compete with the city's other attractions - for example, by inviting passengers on the many cruise ships that visit the city to its daily service of choral Evensong.