Bells of Worcester ring out for Christmas this weekend after being silenced in Storm Arwen damage
The bells at Worcester cathedral will be ringing again this weekend.
The bells of Worcester Cathedral will ring out for Christmas this weekend after being silenced during a week of investigation to assess the impact of Storm Arwen to part of its roof.
The Dean and Chapter are still counting the cost of the damage caused to the north quire aisle roof which, though serious, is confined to the aisle, and the hole in the roof now has a temporary, weather-proof covering.
The nave and cloister remain unaffected and they have now been able to re-open to visitors, and the shop and cafe are open as usual.
Click the image below for details of the Worcester Cathedral Christmas Tree festival which is running throughout January.
A team of experts has been on-site this week conducting investigations and they are working towards a programme of repair which is expected to take several months while the area of damage in the north quire aisle and the quire itself will be closed at least until the new year.
The Dean of Worcester, the Very Revd Peter Atkinson said:
“The roof’s ribbed vault appears to have buckled under the impact but has not given way. This is a tribute to those unnamed masons who built the east end of the Cathedral in the thirteenth century.
“The damage, though serious, is confined to the aisle. The hole in the roof now has a temporary covering. A programme of repair is being planned and a rope access team have been assessing the tower.
“Our plans for Christmas are, at present, able to go ahead, working around the new situation we find ourselves in.
“We do not yet know how long the programme of repair will take, nor how much it will cost, and it is the knock-on effect that we cannot account for. We have already lost income and are sadly unable to release additional tickets for our popular Christmas Carol and Crib Services as we had planned as a result of losing capacity in the north transept.
“This is a terrible thing to have happened, particularly in the run up to Christmas. Whilst repairs take place, we will be operating under temporary measures designed to maximise our use of the building; but it will take time for us to be back to normal once more.
“We are grateful to still have the use of the nave and cloister and are so looking forward to welcoming the community to come together and celebrate Christmas with us here at the Cathedral.
“There is a full programme of Christmas events, services and concerts coming up. To help us to enable this to go ahead, and for the Cathedral to continue into the future, please consider making a donation to our Christmas Appeal.
“We thank you, in advance, for your generosity and support, without which, we would not be able to open our doors.”
