The Nave of Wakefield Cathedral
is being refurbished as part of a 51 week £1.9m complex restoration project supported by the
Heritage Lottery Fund.
Years of dirt will be cleaned
away and a new floor will, according to the Dean of Wakefield, the Very Reverend
Jonathan Greener “deliver a renewed cathedral fit for the 21st Century.”
North West building restoration
experts William Anelay Limited and London-based conservation architects Thomas
Ford and Partners are involved in the refurbishment and the project has received a
£1.58 million grant from the Heritage Lottery.
Cathedral architect John Bailey of
Thomas Ford & Partners said: “It is the first major intervention to the
Nave since George Gilbert Scott’s reordering in the 1870’s. The philosophy has
been to retain all significant historic fabric but to recognise that the
cathedral has to move forward if it is to remain relevant to the people of
Wakefield.
“The Nave will have a new stone floor
incorporating a labyrinth design in the paving which will be a new feature and
focus for those using the cathedral. The removal of 140 years of grime from the
internal stonework and a new lighting scheme will lift the interior and allow
visitors to fully appreciate this outstanding building. This is an exciting
project and we are delighted to be associated with it,” he added.
Site Manager Geoff Roberts said:
“Extracting the old floor was complicated as over 120 ledgers were taken out,
some weighing up to a quarter of a ton.
“What followed was six weeks of
meticulous archaeology carried out by Wessex Archeology that unearthed 26
bodies, many within coffins, buried beneath the nave. Damage from previous
works was clearly visible leaving a large quantity of loose human bones which
were all sympathetically reburied.
“A full birdcage scaffold was
then installed over a five week period that has allowed us to clean the stone
walls. We carried this out using specialist equipment that cleans stone and
brick surfaces far quicker and more effectively using superheated water jet
sprays.”
The innovative specialised
process uses less water than traditional hot and cold water pressure washers
firing a 150ºC liquid spray that removes all manner of surface coatings without
any need for chemicals.
Geoff said: “The process of
replacing the floor then begins in earnest with a series of layers installed
that let the Cathedral breathe.
“There are a lot of complex
issues associated with this job such as fitting services into the new floor
space. We’ve divided it up into zones with the heating system and the
electrical system installed within specific zones.”
Doug Evans, project architect with
Thomas Ford & Partners, said: “William Anelay have been very sensitive and
conscientious in their approach to this complicated and important project. We
have formed an excellent working partnership with their site team which is an
essential factor for success on historic building conservation projects.”
Anelay’s recently appointed
Chairman Charles Anelay, the eighth generation of the family to be involved in
the 265-year-old firm, is delighted with the progress: “Wakefield Cathedral is
a wonderful venue and it’s a great pleasure for Anelays to be involved in the
renewal of the building for generations to come.”
Work is expected to finish by Easter 2013.
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