Portsmouth Cathedral

From its beginning in the 1180s as the heart of Portsmouth's original settlement, St Thomas's Cathedral has been integral to the development of Portsmouth as a modern and vibrant city.

• Attacked by the French in 1338
• Damaged by cannon fire in the Civil War
• Original Charles II marriage certificate
• Framed piece of the flag that flew at Trafalgar carried in Lord Nelson's funeral procession to St Paul's, London in 1806

English Heritage Grant

English Heritage and The Woolfson Foundation have awarded a £148,000 grant towards the replacement of the copper roofs of the Nave.

Whilst being delighted with the grant which is vital to help maintain the integrity of the Cathedral, the Dean, The Very Reverend David Brindley and the Chapter Clerk, Jonathan Lloyd stress that the timescale to accept the grant is tight and a further £120,000 needs to be raised to allow the work to proceed.

The roofs which have been in place for 70 years, over 10 years beyond their anticipated lifespan need replacing urgently and have started to leak. The Dean said 'There are many benefits of being the cathedral nearest the sea in Britain, it's just 100 yards away, but much of the roof is in the teeth of the prevailing weather and the salt-laden air doesn't do us any favours.'