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Central Tower Restoration

In the summer of 2016, the team at Durham Cathedral started vital repair work to conserve and repair the central tower. The work was spilt into three phases and was completed in spring 2019.

The Norman cathedral

Between 1093 and 1133, Durham Cathedral was completely rebuilt by the Normans, replacing an older Anglo-Saxon cathedral. This Norman cathedral was designed to have a central tower and two western towers. Over the centuries many alterations have taken place to the cathedral and its towers including work the started in 2016.

21st Century restoration work

The Church of England requires all cathedrals to be inspected by an architect every 5 years to ensure they are in good repair. During the 2013 inspection the central tower and belfry were identified for conservation and repair to ensure their structural integrity.

Scaffolding began to be constructed around the top of the tower in late 2015. Repair work commenced in the summer of 2016. The necessary repair and conservation work was divided into three phases.

Restoration Phase 1 – The Upper Parapet

Rust on the 19th century iron railings had caused them to expand causing the stones to split, which created movement in the parapet. These splits allowed water to seep into the stone which caused further cracking when the water froze and expanded at low temperatures.

Stone has a natural grain, known as the bedding plane, similar to the grain in wood. The stone on the parapet has been fitted the wrong way up, making it easier for water to work into the grain causing it to weather more quickly.

By June 2017 the parapet has been dismantled and rebuilt. To prevent problems in the future caused by rust, the old iron railings were replaced with bronze. Stone was re-bedded on traditional lime based mortar with basalt stone dowels instead of iron fixings to secure it.

Restoration Phase 2 – The Belfry Exterior

Weathering had caused deterioration of the carved external decorative stonework as well as possible damage to the iron fixings inside the stonework. Damage to the windows, guttering and rainwater piper were also identified and repaired during this phase.

Restoration Phase 3 – Belfry Interior

Water had been coming in through the louvred windows of the belfry which had caused damage to the stonework inside, with the corners of the room being worst affected.

Wherever possible existing stone was repaired or reused. Only very damaged portions were replaced with new stone that matched the geological profile of the original sandstone.

In May 2019 the new visitor’s platform was installed to make the roof safe to walk on. This marked the final stage of the project.

Who completed the work?

Only nine cathedrals in England have a permanent works department. Durham Cathedral has been fortunate to have had a works yard team in one form or another since it was built over 1000 years ago.

The cathedral's stonemasons carried out the work to repair and conserve the central tower. The masons used traditional methods and hand tools to preserve heritage skills and produce work visually consistent with the cathedral's historic stonework.

Our Thanks

None of this work would have been possible without the support of donors and patrons to raise the £1.9million funding needed for the repairs.

Much of this came from the First World War Centenary Cathedrals Repair Fund. The fund's aim was to ensure that cathedral buildings were weatherproof, safe and open to the public, as well as ensuring they would be in a safe condition to host acts of remembrance for the centenary of the First World War Armistice in 2018.

Grants were also awarded by The Alan Evans Memoria Trust, Allchurches Trust ltd, Friends of Durham Cathedral, Sir John Priestman Charity Trust, Headley Trust and Surtees Trust as well as kind donations by a number of individual supporters.

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