Cathedral revamp starts

Scaffolding was being erected around Lichfield's most famous building today, as contractors start work on a major restoration scheme at the city's spectacular cathedral.

Lichfield Inspires – which aims to double the number of visitors to the cathedral – has been described as a "once-in-a-century" project.

The project includes repairing and restoring the countless treasures contained within the walls of the iconic building, which has stood in the city for more than 1,000 years.

From today passers by will notice drastic alterations to the familiar facade of the three-spired cathedral, as workmen start to erect 40 tonnes of scaffolding, along with hoardings, work compounds and even a viewing platform.

Chief officer Timothy Pain said the work – due to take place over the next 10 years – would be incredibly painstaking.

"Some of the stuff we will be working on hasn't been touched in 700 or 800 years," he said.

"A lot of the parts that need attention are difficult to access, which is why the scaffolding is so important."

A team of skilled stonemasons is being employed to carry out urgent restoration work on the cathedral's sandstone walls.

Mr Pain said: "When soft sandstone starts to erode and weather you often get infestations of masonry bees, which burrow into the stone and create almost a honeycomb effect. "That is quite commonplace here so we're having to deal with that."

But Mr Pain said the external activity should not deter people from visiting Lichfield Cathedral. "The morning services will be moved from one chapel to a different part of the cathedral," he said.

To find out more about the project visit www.lichfield-cathedral.org and click on Inspires.