A major appeal to raise £50m to preserve and develop Canterbury cathedral was launched today.

The trustees of the cathedral said they had been forced to act as the building is “suffering serious damage through a combination of old age and modern pollution”. “If action is not taken now, the rate of decay and damage... will increase dramatically with potentially disastrous results,” the trustees added.

The statement said that vital repairs were needed on the buttresses to the West Tower in order to avoid eventual collapse, and the tower roofs need re-leading to protect the bells and clock. The money is also required for “the mammoth task of re-leading the nave roof” as well as “critical repairs to the stonework, carvings and pinnacles on Bell Harry”.

Chairman of the Canterbury Cathedral Trust Fund Allan Willett said: “Canterbury Cathedral, which has survived for more than 900 years, is once again under attack. Despite its 900 turbulent years of history it is the next few years that represent its time of greatest danger.”

Source

QS News