Worcester Cathedral's library receives grant for repairs

A cathedral has received more than £300,000 to protect its medieval manuscript collection.

King John's will and a 1225 copy of the Magna Carta are among Worcester Cathedral's treasures.

Since 2019, issues including water ingress plus roofing and masonry problems have been discovered, putting the site's library archives at risk.

The estates manager said the grant would be spent "protecting the precious collection for the future".

Emily Draper added: "This work will make such a difference to the health of the main library."

Construction at Worcester Cathedral began in 1084, and its library has collected manuscripts since the seventh century.

It is home to almost 300 maps, plans, drawings and books that are hundreds of years old.

The Cathedral received £328,794 from the second round of the government's culture recovery fund.

It will go towards measures that include repairing the lead roof and addressing rainwater disposal.

As well as improvement works, the money will also be spent boosting the library's environmental sustainability.

The government has set aside £35m for the fund which has been split between 142 historic sites across England.

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries says the money "will help protect sites for future generations and help them build back better from the pandemic".

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