Minster secures £230k for renovation works

Hull Minster has announced it has secured more than £230,000 of funding for renovation work, days after firefighters were called to the site following reports of loose stonework.

James Cameron, the minster's heritage manager, said the money would be spent on renovation work to the structure of the building and restoration of the organ.

The site shut last weekend when one of the stone ornaments on the edge of the roof became loose and was removed by the fire service. An architect and stonemason visited the site on Tuesday and said the building was safe.

Cameron said the stone finials had "started to lean a little bit" and would be monitored, but there was no short-term risk to the building.

He told BBC Radio Humberside the team at the Minster would know more when a structural engineer had undertaken a full assessment of the Grade I-listed building.

The finial that came loose was on the north side of the roof edge, 32ft (10m) above ground.

"More of the pinnacles on that side have started to lean a little bit," Cameron said.

"The good news for us is that they're leaning outwards, so they're not going to fall into the building."

The Minster said the funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund would allow renovation works to preserve the building, which celebrated its 600th anniversary last year.

Cameron said the team was excited about the funding but he warned that all renovation work on such an old building was expensive.

As part of the building's conservation management plan, he said they also hoped to start renovation work on the Minster's grand organ, which he said was "the largest defunct instrument in the entire UK".

The instrument has more than 4,000 pipes, some of which date back to 1711. The organ has sung out for 300 years and was last rebuilt in 1938.

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