Safeguarding one of England’s finest medieval roof structures for the next 200 years.
The Challenge
A five-yearly inspection identified the Cathedral’s high roofs — covering the Quire, Nave, and North and South Transepts — as a priority for urgent restoration.
Since the 1940s, the roofs had been covered in copper, installed during wartime shortages when lead was unavailable. Within a decade, the lightweight copper began to fail under coastal winds. Panels lifted, fixings loosened, and over time the screw holes effectively created a sieve for rainwater.
Persistent leaks led to damp conditions, decaying timbers and damage to internal plasterwork. At risk was one of the Cathedral’s most significant historic features: its 13th-century medieval oak roof structure, a remarkable example of English carpentry. In the Nave especially, original carpenter’s markings and wooden pegs remain visible — tangible evidence of how vast timbers were raised and assembled without modern scaffolding.
Without intervention, the damage would only have accelerated.
The Solution
In 2016, a major campaign was launched to raise £5.8 million to restore the roofs and re-cover them in traditional lead.
The works were delivered in two phases:
- Phase One (2017–2018) focused on the Quire and its side aisles.
- Phase Two (2022–2023) addressed the north and south transepts, the central lantern, and finally the Nave — the largest and most complex element.
Five months of continuous scaffolding created a full weatherproof shell before restoration could begin. Structural engineers and specialist craftsmen undertook painstaking inspection and repair of timbers, replacement of decayed corbels, strengthening of trusses, and detailed stonework conservation.
The new roof was finished in the thickest grade of grey lead, each panel weighing approximately 75kg, providing far greater resilience against coastal weather conditions.
The Impact
By October 2023, the scaffolding was dismantled and the Cathedral’s silhouette restored.
The new lead covering is expected to protect the Cathedral for the next 200 years.
This once-in-a-generation project has:
- Safeguarded a nationally significant medieval roof structure
- Prevented further water ingress and timber decay
- Secured the long-term stability of the Cathedral’s interior spaces
- Preserved a defining feature of Chichester’s historic skyline
Funding & Partnership
The campaign was led by the Chichester Cathedral Restoration & Development Trust, which contributed £1.78 million from its own reserves and coordinated support from individuals, companies and charitable trusts.
We are deeply grateful to the many funders whose generosity made this project possible, including:
The Wolfson Foundation, the Worshipful Company of Girdlers, the Worshipful Company of Grocers, the Ian M Foulerton Charitable Trust, the Tanner Trust, the Hans & Julia Rausing Trust, the Mercers’ Company, the Steel Charitable Trust, the Sussex Historic Churches Trust, the Dulverton Trust, the Golden Bottle Trust and to the hundreds of individual donors.
Looking Ahead
The restoration of the roofs secures the Cathedral’s fabric for generations — but ongoing inspection and conservation remain essential.
Caring for a building of this scale and significance is never complete. It requires vigilance, expertise and sustained philanthropic partnership.
Support Our Ongoing Work
Projects of this scale are only possible thanks to the generosity of individuals, trusts and foundations who share our commitment to caring for Chichester Cathedral.
Your gift will help us continue to conserve our historic buildings, protect our heritage, and ensure the Cathedral remains a place of worship, welcome and inspiration for generations to come.
Chichester Cathedral Restoration & Development Trust CIO
Registered Charity No. 1156729
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