Once the tallest building in the world, Lincoln Cathedral’s spire topped towers soared towards heaven, proclaiming far and wide the message of God’s glory.
The Lincoln Cathedral Fabric Fund exists to support our continuous programme of conservation and restoration that is required to sustain the Cathedral, both for us today, as well as those future generations who we hope will also be able to visit and be inspired.
At the time of writing, it is the only Church of England Cathedral that is included in its entirety on the Heritage at Risk Register – Lincoln Cathedral is a treasure we cannot afford to lose.
Sustaining the Cathedral Building
Today the challenges of conserving, restoring and sustaining a medieval Cathedral Church such as Lincoln are immense. The Cathedral is constantly vulnerable to wind, precipitation and pollutants that together are slowly stealing the fabric of the Cathedral away. It takes approximately 100 years for the cycle of works that arrests this decay to move around the Cathedral.
It is interesting to note that as part of the Cathedral’s listing on the Heritage at Risk Register, it was challenged to spend approximately £1.6million each and every year to ensure the condition of the building does not worsen. In order to achieve such a challenging goal, the Cathedral relies on its dedicated in-house Works Department.
The Works Department & Heritage Skills
Lincoln Cathedral is incredibly fortunate to have an in-house Works Department, made up of individuals who are not only passionate about their work on the Cathedral building itself, but in continuing and developing the important heritage skills that are so vital to sustaining a vast medieval Cathedral such as Lincoln – conservators, glaziers, joiners, lead-workers and stonemasons.
As far as possible, all our craftspeople are true to the traditional processes that the original medieval craftsmen would have used in the construction of the Cathedral, although they do have the benefit of some more modern machinery and techniques to help them in the task. Wherever possible, they always try to ensure that the existing fabric is retained and only when the structural role of a stone, carving, joist, lead roof or section of glass can no longer be performed, will it be replaced with new.
From carving a new piece of stone to conserving beautiful medieval glass, the skills of the Works Department are the most important element in conserving and restoring the fabric of the Cathedral. It is important that the Cathedral continues to undertake the training of new apprentices as well as developing the skills of its existing workforce.
The Future
The future presents many challenges for the Cathedral. With major works in the pipeline, the support of individuals has never been more important than it is today. Be it volunteering your time, Cathedral membership, stone and glass adoption or sponsorship, or even including the Lincoln Cathedral Fabric Fund in your Will, we would love to hear from you.
Leaving a gift in your Will
For many people, leaving a gift in their Will is the ideal way for them to show their support for causes that have meaning for them after providing for family and friends. By leaving a gift in your Will to the Lincoln Cathedral Fabric Fund, you too could help future generations be inspired by Lincoln Cathedral.
To speak to someone about supporting the Fabric Fund, please contact Matthew Tarling, the Fundraising Manager on 01522 561614, or email matthew.tarling@lincolncathedral.com
Thank you for your support!