Mrs Bucket helps cathedral to stop the roof leaking
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THE star of the television show Keeping Up Appearances helped launch an appeal to fix a historic cathedral roof - before they need a bucket.
Dame Patricia Routledge - who played Hyacinth Bucket on the BBC show - is helping Chichester Cathedral’s High Roof Restoration Appeal to raise £5.8 million for the urgent repair, restoration and recovering of the roof.
Dame Patricia said: “I think this is a very important appeal because it concerns everybody in the community and, for those who are not familiar with this glorious building, it’s up to us to point out the essential requirement that it should be preserved and restored. It’s our history, it’s our heritage, it’s our meeting place.”
In a study in 1980, the renowned craftsman Cecil Hewett described the Cathedral roofs as “among the least spoiled and most important roofs in the kingdom”.
The historic oak timbers were felled by order of Henry III for the construction of the magnificent building and have the original marks made by the medieval craftsman.
Beneath the current copper roof, for the entire length of the Cathedral from east to west, lies much of the original 13th century medieval roof structure.
An urgent repair and restoration programme is now underway to replace the failing copper roof with a more historically authentic lead roof, and restore the historic timber roof structure underneath.
The launch included a presentation by the Dean of Chichester, the Very Reverend Stephen Waine, and Daniel Hodson, the Appeal Chairman, revealed that thanks to the generosity of supporters and grant-making trusts £3 million in funds had already been secured. However, he stressed that there was still another £2.8 million urgently needed in order to safeguard the future of this historic building.
Appeal Chairman Daniel Hodson called for support for the 900 year old building.
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