Latest news from Gloucester Cathedral 'Living Stones' Project
From Gargoyles to Parapets: Sponsors of Cathedral Stones help to Conserve Gloucester’s Greatest Landmark.
In March this year, Gloucester Cathedral launched a fundraising campaign encouraging supporters to sponsor their own Cathedral stone.
The ‘Living Stones’ appeal aims to raise funds towards a £400,000 project to restore one of the oldest parts of the building, the North Ambulatory, an architectural masterpiece crafted in the Romanesque style.
The Ambulatory dates to the very origins of the 900-year-old Norman Abbey and is currently the Cathedral’s most pressing focus for repair, with the stonework requiring urgent conservation to ensure it is water-tight and weather proof. In the first two months of the campaign over £300,000 has been raised towards the project.
Theo Platt, Head of Development and Communications said: “The response to the Living Stones appeal has been remarkable and we are humbled by the amount of support given.
Over 200 people have sponsored their own Cathedral stone so far and it is thanks to this generosity that the stonemasons have been able to make significant progress on the project. However, we can’t stop there, and hope that people will continue to get behind the campaign by helping us to raise the remaining £100,000 needed to ensure that this beautiful part of the building is restored to its original glory.”
For a minimum donation of £25, supporters will be allocated their own stone which will be conserved as a part of the project. In return, they will receive a certificate and a plan showing exactly where the stone is located. Donors over the age of 18 will also have the opportunity to join a scaffolding tour to see up close the work taking place and take in the stunning view.
As part of the project the in-house team of stonemasons will also design and carve six new gargoyles and eleven pinnacles – restoring one of Gloucester’s most iconic skylines. Each gargoyle will represent an area of Gloucestershire. It is only the second time in living memory that new gargoyles have been created for the Cathedral. From Monday 27 May you will be able to see the designs for the first time when we unveil sketches of them on the Cathedral Facebook and Twitter pages.
The Very Reverend Stephen Lake, Dean of Gloucester said: “Our ancestors did everything they could to pass the building on in better condition than they found it. This is part of Cathedral’s DNA; each generation leaving its mark, building on the legacy of those who came before to continue inspiring visitors in the future.
The Cathedral is bigger than all of us and we need the help of local people to continue its story. Please consider supporting the appeal: every gift, like every stone, will make a crucial contribution.”
Donations can be made online at: www.gloucestercathedral.org.uk//support/livingstones
Explore Gloucestershire
20 May 2019
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