It’s a wrap as tower cover is coming down
KEY STAGE IN WORK ON RESTORING DURHAM CATHEDRAL
THE wrap around Durham Cathedral’s iconic tower is finally coming down after three years.
Work to remove the wrap from the Central Tower started on Monday and is expected to be completed by the end of the week.
After the wrap, which was used as a protective scaffold sheeting to protect the restoration work, the scaffolding will be removed.
Weather permitting, removing the scaffolding should be finished by March.
It comes after masonry work was complete in November, with the next stage of the project being the repairing of the lead roof and the installation of the new viewing deck.
The final stage will be the removal of the lift that has been on the exterior of the tower during the works.
Scaffolding supervisor Lee Boyes said: “We will be starting to take the wrap off. We will start by taking the sheeting, wrapping it up, taking it down in the hoist and putting it in the skip.
“From then we will start by dismantling the suspended scaffolding, working from the bottom up.
“I will have a team of four to five scaffolders – highly trained to work at these levels – and we will do it safely by taking it down.
“Sometimes it does get a bit windy, so what we do is act fast and monitor the winds.
“If it is too windy it is dangerous, same if it is too wet. If it is too wet we will go inside and wrap up gear, ready for collection in the wagons.
“Hopefully it will go to plan. If we get decent weather, we will get a lot done.
“You are 200ft in the air and exposed to all weather. Providing it is kind weather, like today, we will smash it.”
The £1.9 million restoration project has been under way since November 2015 after an architect’s inspection revealed the tower was in need of serious repair.
Work has included repairing stones in the upper parapet, with each block taken from the tower to a workshop below by the cathedral’s stonemasons using a specially installed lift.
Scott Richardson, clerk of works at Durham Cathedral, said the stonemasons have relished working on the tower project, knowing the central part of the cathedral and the city’s skyline is being conserved for future generations.
He added: “The work has been challenging.
“It’s great to be approaching the end of the project as visitors will soon be able to access and enjoy the wonderful views again.”
Funding for the project was secured through a number of groups, including the First World War Centenary Cathedral Repairs Fund, Friends of Durham Cathedral and Sir John Priestman Charity Trust.