Work has recently been completed to remove a pinnacle from the Chapter House at Lincoln Cathedral.
The pinnacle was identified as being at risk due to fractures in the stone, corrosion of the iron supports and deterioration of the stone. The last time a restoration programme took place on the Chapter House was more than 30 years ago in the late 1980s.
As the stone has essentially reached the end of its lifespan, it will ultimately be replaced with new carving as part of a wider Chapter House conservation project, which is due to begin in April 2021, and expected to take between two and four years to complete.
In the meantime, the pinnacle has been taken down to below the capitals to prevent any masonry falls. The remaining stone has been capped to prevent any water ingress and the pieces which have been removed are being marked-up, labelled and measured ready for the creation of the replacement stones.
Michael Sheppard, Director of Works explained “The Chapter House is a fantastic link building here at Lincoln Cathedral and is exquisitely carved and glazed. The Chapter House project will conserve and preserve the building envelope, removing the risk of water ingress and reducing masonry deterioration.
“The urgent work now in removing the risk of falling masonry is critical in maintaining the safe environment that the Cathedral close provides. Once removed, our in-house Works Department will concentrate on the important task of planning the next stage of the project. As ever, protecting our built heritage is one of the primary concerns of the Cathedral organisation, regardless of the pandemic or other national emergencies.”
In the video below we can join Deputy Head Mason, Michael Graves on the scaffold as he explains the issues with the masonry and how the pinnacle will be removed.
