Lichfield Cathedral to receive £690,000 grant for repair work

The money, being donated to the cathedral by the First World War Centenary Cathedral Repairs Fund, is part of £14.5 million given by the Government for repairs at cathedrals including Liverpool, Canterbury, York and Coventry.

The grant will go towards helping Lichfield Cathedral reverse serious water penetration and stone erosion on the Chapter House, which is built from a number of different types of red sandstone.

In recent years, the top layer of stonework has begun to weaken, and the roof is now showing signs of significant distress. Both of these situations now pose a substantial risk to the interior, in particular to the library collection.

The Very Reverend Adrian Dorber, Dean of Lichfield, said: "This grant could not have come at a better time. In February we launched the Chapter House Appeal, with an ambitious aim to raise £2 million.

"Our Chapter House is a hugely important part of the Cathedral and its history, and we're incredibly grateful to the Government for enabling us to repair it."

The Chapter House is home to an exhibition that focuses on the Anglo-Saxon history of the cathedral.