There are concerns St Pauls cathedral could close after tourism cash fell dramatically during the Covid pandemic.
Those who run the London landmark now say the building is rotting with buckets catching water leaking from the roof.
St Paul’s is facing its worst financial crisis in 300 years after the building’s income–heavily reliant on tourism–dropped by 90 per cent in 2020 when it was forced to close during lockdowns, the BBC reported.
Dean of St Paul’s, the Very Rev Dr David Ison, told the BBC “big decisions” were needed.
St Pauls annual running costs amount to £8m per year. The cathedral gets more than £3million from the government’s £1.5bn culture recovery fund,
A renovation project to fix a lead roof, dating back centuries, has been shelved and although some staff have been furloughed, a restructure has seen almost 25 per cent made redundant.
Oliver Caroe, the surveyor of fabric at St Pauls, said the building was “rotting” and his team currently have to patch things up and seal the gaps, but “there’s only so long you can do that for”.
He told the BBC: “We have collections under these roofs, really precious objects, and there are buckets next to them, covered in plastic because the roof leaks.
“I think everyone would be shocked if this building ran into trouble. It is in trouble now.”
St Paul’s Cathedral choir, who have existed since the 13th Century, due to costs.
The Prime Minister threw his weight behind a campaign for a memorial in the cathedral, telling MPs: “Like many across this Chamber I was deeply moved when I visited the covid memorial wall opposite Parliament and I wholeheartedly support the plan for a memorial in St Paul’s cathedral which will provide a fitting place of reflection in the heart of our capital.”
A campaign was launched to raise £2.3 million to build a memorial in the central London cathedral to commemorate those who died in the pandemic.
For more than 1,400 years, a church dedicated to St Paul has stood at the highest point in the City of London, Ludgate Hill. The first three burnt down but the current magnificent structure, masterminded by celebrity architect of the day, Sir Christopher Wren, has remained intact for nearly 400 years.
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The Grade I-listed national treasure has been at the centre of British religious and architectural history since its foundation centuries ago.
Admiral Lord Nelson is buried deep in the cathedral’s crypt. Following his service, which saw millions of people line the streets of London, Nelson’s very regal-looking tomb was lowered through a specially designed hole in the floor.
Other famous tombs in the cathedral include Sir Christopher Wren, John Donne and Arthur Wellesley, the 1st Duke of Wellington.
