News

Visitors to the Cathedral may have noticed some netting that has been installed after some small pieces of masonry fell from the Nave Vaults on Friday last week. A structural engineer was on site within half an hour and as a precautionary measure the netting was installed.

Further inspection later last Friday revealed that it wasn’t stone from the building, but a few pieces of mortar from an old repair that had fallen. Thanks to the prompt action of Cathedral staff, we were able to get the netting up quickly to ensure the safety of everyone entering the building. The reception desk has also been slightly rearranged. More inspection work was carried out yesterday and it revealed that the mortar came from a window repair on the south side of the Cathedral.

Work now begins to inspect the rest of the windows in that part of the Cathedral further to identify any other similar mortar repairs that may need attention. In the meantime the netting will stay in place until the full assessment has been completed.

A drone is to be used to further inspect the Cathedral Nave after fragments of mortar fell from there 10 days ago.

Netting has been temporarily installed and will remain in place until this new inspection has taken place. Plans are in place to erect a scaffold to for remedial work to be carried out.

High resolution camera footage revealed the source of the fallen fragments was from an old stone repair to one of the high-level windows on the south side of the Nave. The drone will be operated by a specialist drone surveyor to get close-up images of the area to determine exactly what has happened and any action that needs to be taken.

Director of Works Jonathan Ryan said: “The purpose of the drone inspection is twofold. Firstly, to try and get a better idea of what we might need to do to the affected area once we get there, and secondly as a precautionary measure to check all the other windows in the Nave for any similar defects.”

The netting was originally installed on August 9. A structural engineer was on site within half an hour and as a precautionary measure the netting was installed.

Thanks to the prompt action of Cathedral staff, we were able to get the netting up quickly to ensure the safety of everyone entering the building. The reception desk has also been slightly rearranged.