New scaffold tours give "never before seen" glimpse of Salisbury Cathedral
It's a chance for people to see some of the intricate details of the works the stonemasons are doing.
Last updated 16th Sep 2020
A new tour of Salisbury Cathedral will give people a chance to have a unique look at the restoration work that is taking place on the east end of the building.
It's not for the faint hearted though, as you will be climbing stairs and ladders as you ascend 40ft up the scaffolding, getting a "never before seen" look of a hidden glazing workshop used over the centuries by Cathedral builders and restorers.
The room is situated behind the Moses window and is now used by stonemasons that are operating at height.
Clerk of the Works Gary Price, or Head Stonemason Lee Andrews, will run the 90 minute tour which is available for groups of four from the same household/support bubble.
It costs £300 per group of four, but the money is going straight into the Cathedral's Recovery Appeal as they try to get things back to normal after lockdown.
The appeal was launched last month after the Cathedral revealed lockdown and the restriction of visitor numbers has left them with a potential budget shortfall of nearly £2m.
Gary Price told Greatest Hits Radio:
"We've got scaffolding up on the east end of the Cathedral at the moment and we thought it would be a great scheme to invite members of the public to come and see the work of the stonemasons up close. There's only a couple of years left before the scaffold comes down and then nobody will get to see what all the craftsmen and women, who have been working on the Cathedral, have done during the last four or five years the scaffold has been up.
The Cathedral, like many others in the country, only receive voluntary donations and contributions through people coming into the building or going on a tour, we don't get any other grants or government funding so it's really, really important, especially during 2020 as the pandemic has meant the Cathedral has been shut for about 5 months and they've lost an awful lot of revenue."
Anyone looking to book tickets for the tour should email devadmin@salcath.co.uk or call 01722 555122.
FUNDING SHORTFALL
The Coronavirus outbreak has left the historical site with a potential budget shortfall of nearly £2m this year.
As part of their changes, any non-residents of the Salisbury Diocese area visiting the building now have to pay to enter.
It's hoped this may help them get back some of the money they are expected to lose.
You can also donate by visiting their website www.salisburycathedral.org.uk/donate.