Lichfield Cathedral awarded £690,000 for Chapter House
It was announced today, that Lichfield Cathedral will be awarded £690,000 by the First World War Centenary Cathedral Repairs Fund.
Thirty-nine grants totalling £14.5 million were announced by the government for urgent repairs. Other cathedrals who will benefit from grants include Liverpool, Canterbury, York, Salisbury and Coventry.
The grant will go a long way towards helping Lichfield Cathedral reverse serious water penetration and stone erosion on the Chapter House. The structure is built from a number of different types of red sandstone. In recent years, the top layer of stonework has begun to weaken, and the roof is now showing signs of significant distress. Both factors now pose a substantial risk to the interior, in particular to the library collection.
Dame Fiona Reynolds, Chair of the Cathedrals Fabric Commission for England says: “Cathedrals are the beating hearts of their communities, offering sanctuary, beauty, collective history, and social and economic support to people of every generation.”
The Very Revd Adrian Dorber, Dean of Lichfield, says: “This grant could not have come at a better time. In February this year we launched the Chapter House Appeal, with an ambitious aim to raise £2million. Our Chapter House is a hugely important part of the Cathedral and its history, and we’re incredibly grateful to the government for enabling us to repair and maintain it for future generations.”
The Chapter House is the only two-storey Chapter House in the UK, and the only one shaped as an octagon, stretched on its west-east axis, with a ten-celled roof, vaulted from a central pillar. Today, the Chapter House is home to a long-term exhibition that focuses on the Anglo-Saxon history of the Cathedral. It includes the St Chad Gospels, the Lichfield Angel, and associated Christian items from the Staffordshire Hoard.
Donations can be made to further help the Chapter House Appeal by texting CHAP17 (£1/£2/£3/£4/£5/£10) to 70070, or by sending a cheque made out to Lichfield Cathedral for the attention of The Development Team.