Worcester Cathedral has begun an eight-month project to repair and preserve the northwest pinnacles of its tower.
The cathedral, founded in 680, was largely built between the 11th and 16th centuries.
In 2021, its northeast pinnacle collapsed during Storm Arwen after winds of up to 100mph. An investigation later found that the northwest pinnacle had been built in a similar way and faced a comparable risk of failure.
The restoration project, called Reaching New Heights, has received £249,956 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Scaffolding work began on 17 August and is expected to take eight weeks. Repairs will then take a further eight weeks, followed by a four-week contingency period. The scaffolding is expected to be removed in January.
During the work, the cathedral's quarter-hour clock chimes will be silenced. The hour bell will only sound before 08:00 and after 17:00, following “community feedback”.
Bellringing and tower tours will also be suspended while workers are on the scaffolding, expected to be between 07:30 and 16:30.
The cathedral is instead offering tours exploring its architecture, archaeology and historic graffiti.
The pinnacles will be rebuilt using Red Hollington stone from Staffordshire. Worcester Cathedral was mainly constructed from Bromsgrove Sandstone, but the stone is no longer commercially quarried.
