Context : Candidate high mass star forming regions can be identified through the occurrence of 6.7 GHz methanol masers .
In these sources the methanol abundance of the gas must be enhanced , as the masers require a considerable methanol path length .
The place and time of origin of this enhancement is not well known .
Similarly , it is debated in which of the physical components of the high mass star forming region the masers are located .

Aims : The aim of this study is to investigate the distribution and excitation of the methanol gas around Cep A and to describe the physical conditions of the region .
In addition the large scale abundance distribution is determined in order to understand the morphology and kinematics of star forming regions in which methanol masers occur .

Methods : The spatial distribution of the methanol is studied by mapping line emission , as well as the column density and excitation temperature , which are estimated using rotation diagrams .
For a limited number of positions the parameters are checked with non-LTE models .
Furthermore , the distribution of the methanol abundance is derived in comparison with archival dust continuum maps .

Results : Methanol is detected over a 0.3 \times 0.15 pc area centred on the Cep A HW2 source , showing an outflow signature .
Most of the gas can be characterized by a moderately warm rotation temperature ( 30 - 60 K ) .
At the central position two velocity components are detected with different excitation characteristics , the first related to the large-scale outflow .
The second component , uniquely detected at the central location , is probably associated with the maser emission on much smaller scales of 2″ .
Detailed analysis reveals that the highest densities and temperatures occur for these inner components .
In the inner region the dust and gas are shown to have different physical parameters .

Conclusions : Abundances of methanol in the range 10 ^ { -9 } – 10 ^ { -7 } are inferred , with the abundance peaking at the maser position .
The geometry of the large-scale methanol is in accordance with previous determinations of the Cep A geometry , in particular those from methanol masers .
The dynamical and chemical time-scales are consistent with the methanol originating from a single driving source associated with the HW2 object and the masers in its equatorial region .