Coventry cathedral ruins in danger of collapse

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Parts of Coventry's cathedral ruins are in danger of collapse, the site's director has said.



An urgent fundraising campaign has been started to raise money to repair the weather-damaged wall adjoining Bayley Lane, currently held up by scaffolding.

The estimated cost of repair to the structurally-unsafe 14th Century building is £250,000.

Cathedral executive director, Jane Woodward, said a crack had "suddenly appeared" through part of the stone.

She added: "You could see daylight through the crack, so we took immediate steps to put scaffolding up and the road had to be closed.

"We carry out an ongoing survey of the cathedral but this damage has taken us by surprise and it's very upsetting."

'Commemorate communities'

More than £350,000 was spent on repairs to the cathedral ruins last year, which was expected to make the building structurally secure until 2013.

To raise interest and funds, officials at the cathedral said it could be designated as a world monument to civilian victims of war.

Ms Woodward said: "There are lots of monuments around Britain but none at all that commemorate civilian communities.

"It means a lot to have somewhere where people can go, in Coventry, to remember people who died in the city."

Dr Jonathan Foyle, from the World Monument Fund, said fundraising could help people to recognise the value of the ruins.

He added: "It's not just keeping it in a stable state, it's realising that it still has wonderful crypts, it still has works of art to show.

"Coventry can be really put on the tourist map if we just realise the value of the place."

Some of the cathedral's hidden treasures, like its Blitz-damaged medieval stained glass, could be displayed if sufficient funds are raised.

The glass has been stored in the cathedral's crypt for more than 70 years.

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Coventry Cathedral ruins have been included on a list of important cultural sites across the world which are under threat.

The World Monuments Fund has named 67 places which it says need help to stop them falling to ruin.

And listed alongside floating fishing villages in Vietnam, the ancient Nasca lines and geoglyphs in Peru and the oldest cemetery in Athens is the ruins of the former Cathedral Church of St Michael, destroyed in the Coventry Blitz.

Dean of Coventry the Very Rev John Irvine said: “We were very pleased and excited about it.

“It gives international world recognition of the importance of the city of Coventry and in particular the cathedral ruins.”

Being included in the list does not mean winning a grant or investment but it is hoped inclusion will bring the site and its needs to more people’s attention across the world.

The ruins have suffered from decay over the years since the building was bombed in November 1940.

Just last month a huge crack appeared in one of the walls prompting an emergency appeal to repair it.

But Mr Irvine said it was probably this recent incident which helped with the cathedral’s application to be included by the World Monuments Fund.

He added: “Being included doesn’t specifically mean any more money.

"It doesn’t guarantee a handout but it does raise the global significance of the ruins and that will be extraordinarily helpful in terms of attracting support.

“We’ve invested hundreds of thousands of pounds over recent years to keep the Cathedral ruins standing but we’ve run out of resources.

“Being on the list will bring us to the attention of well wishers and philanthropists.

“We hope it will also be affirming for citizens of Coventry and serve as a reminder to us what a privilege they are and what a responsibility we have with these ruins.”

Other British sites making the list, described as modernist sites, are Birmingham Central Library, The Preston Bus Station and London’s South Bank Centre.

The World Monuments Fund was introduced in 1996 and every two years brings out a list of some of the world’s most treasured places which need help.

Speaking about the Coventry Cathedral ruins, organisers said: “Exposure to the elements over time has eroded the ruins, and significant water infiltration problems and structural deterioration require immediate action.

“Stabilising the ruins will be a first step in preserving this important landmark and renewing this sacred space.”

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Coventry cathedral ruins repair work gets funding boost



The restoration of Coventry's old cathedral ruins is to begin after a £77,000 grant.

Coventry Cathedral staff said the donation meant work to repair a crack that appeared in the south-west corner of the ruins could go ahead.

The cathedral's executive director Jane Woodward said the first phase would start in June and finish by November.

She said the cost of repairing the unsafe 14th Century building was £260,270.

Ms Woodward said: "We are delighted to have achieved this first milestone, however it is just the beginning and we hope that the public will continue to be as generous as they have been in the past."

In September she said a crack had "suddenly appeared" through part of the stone and scaffolding was put up around it.

Waste Recycling Environment Limited (Wren) has given the cathedral the £77,383 grant under The Landfill Communities Fund.

More than £350,000 was spent on repairs to the cathedral ruins in 2010, which was expected to make the building structurally secure until 2013.

[Spuffler]

"we hope that the public will continue to be as generous as they have been in the past."
" - what planet are they living on....?

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Coventry Cathedral lands World Monuments Fund grant

COVENTRY Cathedral is to receive a $150,000 grant through the World Monuments Fund.

The money from American Express - about £93,000 - will go towards a £2 million project to repair the ruins, restore underground crypts and showcase medieval stained glass.

Five other “at risk” sites around the world are also in line for an award, including Ruta de la Amistad in Mexico; Salvador de Bahia in Brazil, Balaji Ghat in India, the Canterbury Provincial Government buildings in New Zealand and the town of Sawara in Japan.