WORCESTER Cathedral has been awarded just over £250,000 to carry out crucial repairs to one of its historic windows.
The funding, a total of £250,316, was announced on Monday (October 27) by Culture Secretary Sajid Javid as part of the second round of grants in the First World War Centenary Cathedral Repairs Fund – a pot of £20million unveiled in the Chancellor’s March budget.
It will be used for repair work to the East Window of the Lady Chapel.
The colourful window is a highly significant artistic event at the east end of the principal axis of the Cathedral and the backdrop for all east facing worship within the Nave, Quire and Lady Chapel.
The Very Reverend Peter Atkinson, Dean of Worcester, said: “The Cathedral is delighted and celebrates this amazingly good news which will be used to carry out urgent repairs in order to restore the East window.
“The glass, which is in poor condition and the lead work has failed, once restored will be very dramatic.”
The work is expected to take between eight and nine months and will need to be carried out by experienced and accredited stained glass conservators with support from the Worcester Cathedral Stonemasons.
The East Window was the first of several windows by John Hardman and Co. of Birmingham to be installed at Worcester Cathedral during the Victorian restoration between 1854 and 1875.
It was paid for by public subscription, and the first lights of the window were installed in 1860.
It represents the Crucifixion and the Ascension, with medallions of scenes in the life of Jesus.
The upper five lights (panes) and the centre light of the lower tier were made for the Paris Exhibition of 1862.
