The holy spirit will soon be flowing at Rochester Cathedral, thanks to a new gin.

Inspired by the rich history of England's second oldest cathedral, it will be christened 604 celebrating its 1,400-year heritage.

Proceeds from the sale of 604, priced at £39.99 a bottle, will go towards keeping the venue open free of charge and safe for its thousands of visitors.

Dr Philip Hesketh, Dean of Rochester, said “We are enormously grateful to the Copper Rivet Distillery for collaborating on this project which will help raise crucial funds every time a glass of 604 is raised.”

The gin made by the distillery at the old Pump House in Chatham Maritime goes on sale at the cathedral from Monday(November 15).

Only 240 bottles are available, so the advice is to act quickly if you fancy the tipple in time for Christmas.

The place of worship was founded on the banks of the Medway in AD604 by St Justus. The imagery on the label is taken from the famous fresco at Rochester Cathedral painted to mark the cathedral’s 1,400th anniversary in 2004.

Rochester joins three other English cathedrals who have launched gins to raise funds for conservation, mission, and development.

Blackburn, Bristol and Portsmouth have all worked with local distilleries in recent years.

The cathedral relies upon the generosity of visitors and so initiatives like this are vital for raising much needed income.

Bob Russell, founder of the Copper Rivet Distillery and a member of the Rochester Cathedral Business Guild is delighted to have been chosen to produce the gin.

He said: "Rochester’s ancient cathedral has been at the heart of Medway’s community for centuries.

"This collaboration underlines our commitment to the fabric of the community and shows the success that can be achieved when we work together towards shared goals – we wish Rochester Cathedral every success with their gin.”

The 604 is billed a "premier gin inspired by historical recipes, using the botanicals: juniper, coriander, lemon peel, orange peel, orris root and angelica root".

It is said to be "light and subtly citrus", "crisp and refreshing" and "best enjoyed over ice, with your favourite tonic water and garnished with a slice of lime".

Previously, te cathedral has played host to a bridge-themed miniature golf course and a floating model of the moon, while a dangling globe will also visit.

Norwich Cathedral got a helter skelter while Birmingham is getting a pop-up pub to pull in the Christmas punters.

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