It was in 1986, twenty-four years ago, that the then Clerk of Works at the Cathedral, Roy Spring, first identified the huge amount of the work which would need to done to conserve this Cathedral for future generations.

That work was subsequently titled the Major Repair Programme, or MRP. Four years later, in 1990, The Spire Appeal was set up under the patronage of the Prince of Wales and the massive undertaking began in earnest.

To date work has been completed on the spire, tower, roof, West Front, North nave aisle, internal and external re-lighting, and the East, South and West cloisters.

Current work is centred on the North Transept (completion scheduled for January 2011) and the North East Transept (completion scheduled for November 2011). Work still to be undertaken includes the North East, East and approximately 50 per cent of the South side of the Cathedral - including the Chapter House stonework - and the North side of the cloister.

The North side of the Cathedral is the worst side for weathering. The basic masonry in this area is in satisfactory condition, however the 80 per cent of it which makes up the decorative masonry has worn significantly.

This is because the decorative masonry is actually functional, its job to deflect water from the building. The current work is to stabilise and replace deteriorated stonework to conserve the building and to prevent further masonry falls.

There is approximately an eighth-month lead in to each phase of work on the MRP. The Cathedral’s Works Department has a skilled workforce which includes: 4 conservators, 11 stonemasons (including one apprentice mason), 2 sawyers, Works Manager, 4 glaziers (including one apprentice glazier), and an additional maintenance staff of 5.

The MRP is expected to take a total of around 30 years to complete and, with careful annual maintenance, should see the Cathedral’s fabric secure for at least the next 100 years.