have paid £210,000, with a further £60,000 due to be paid over soon, to enable the existing temporary building and storage sheds to be moved to a concrete slab nearby; they will be refurbished and stay in situ whilst conservation work on the Chapter House takes place. We want to contribute as much as we can to this project within the programme’s timescale but with our current membership and investments, our projected income over this time period would leave a large shortfall!
The Canon Treasurer Mark Bonney reports (April 2011): ‘This project is moving steadily ahead, and as part of the first stage preparations, the temporary toilets and store rooms have been re-sited to enable an archeological dig, which has taken place. Over the years there has been a considerable amount of intrusion into this area, and so apart from gathering together a considerable number of bone fragments which need to be re-interred there is nothing of concern.
The Project architect has produced a Feasibility Report which has been discussed by Chapter, the Fabric Advisory Committee and the Senior Leadership Team. There are details about the brief which continue to be discussed, not least exactly how many toilets we can have, and how to balance that with the storage needs. This is a very sensitive site and so the aim is to make whatever is built as visually unobtrusive as possible. Once Chapter, FAC and SLT have had their discussions, consultation at an early stage will be required with English Heritage, Wiltshire Council and other statutory consultees to inform the more detailed planning of the scheme. Drawings and plans are presently being drawn up, ready for preliminary meetings with the Planners.’
QUIRE LIGHTING (£50,000 granted)
Improvements to the lighting in the Quire continue to progress. An application re the Quire lighting was being made to CFCE for September consideration.
CATHEDRAL FLOWERS (£2,000 granted for 2 years running)
Cathedral flower arrangers have expressed their appreciation for our grants of £2,000 p a.
MONUMENT CONSERVATION (£45,000 granted over 3 years)
The second phase of monument conservation began towards the end of 2010. Work has progressed smoothly with the Audley Chantry, Mompesson, Davenant, Wyndham and Sadler monuments. It was not necessary to dismantle the Wyndham monument but it was cleaned and now looks splendid, it is one of the finest of the monuments in the Cathedral from a sculptural point of view. |
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The Audley Chantry
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The Wyndham Monument |
Update on the Major Repair Programme (£100,000 granted)
Mark Bonney reports (April 2011): ‘The North East transept is nearly complete and some final fixing of more ornate finials etc will be happening soon, but unfortunately the scaffolding will remain up for at least another year because it is joined to the next Major Repair Area and to the hoist which is needed for access. Immediate work is moving to the Chapter House for which generous funding by an anonymous donor has been found, but it is planned to return to the MRA9 and the Trinity Chapel area after that’.
Repairs to the pinnacles and spirelet on the north transept were assisted by £100,000 grant from the |
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Friends. It is thanks to the generosity and support of our members, especially through Gifts in their will, that we are able to fund such important projects for the Cathedral. Both Tory and I represented the Friends at the ‘Topping-out’ ceremony in April 2011 when the final finials were placed and blessed. |
TE DEUM ALTAR FRONTAL AND CARPENTER COPE (£20,000 granted)
The Conservators at the Royal School of Needlework have now completed their programme of work on the beautiful Te Deum altar frontal and Carpenter cope. A group of Friends visited the studio at Hampton Court in January 2011 to see the final work being finished, and we brought back the Carpenter cope to the vestry. The Te Deum frontal followed not long after this, and was resplendent during the recent flower festival (June 2011). We have decided to use the design for a bi-fold notecard, and it looks very good! Please see the order form if you are interested in purchasing the cards. |
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