BRECON CATHEDRAL has been awarded a grant of more than £2 million from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to preserve and transform its buildings, with the aim of attracting new visitors.
The grant of £2,041,756 is in addition to separate grants of £745,000 which have already been awarded to the project “People, Passion, Priory: Brecon Cathedral, the Heart and Soul of Community” (News, 28 October 2022).
Plans include creating a new, fully accessible entrance, enhancing the piazza area, and “introducing new ways to interpret the interior space for everyone who comes through the doors”, a cathedral press release said.
Urgent re-roofing is to provide an NVQ Level-3 heritage training for 18 young roofers, or those changing careers, “ensuring the project gives back to the community it serves”.
BRECON CATHEDRALBrecon Cathedral
A new communal space is to be created inside the building for exhibitions, concerts, plays, and other community events. “Our history will be presented through innovative stories of our famous people with many of the turbulent episodes of our nation being represented here,” the press release said.
The Dean, Dr Paul Shackerley, said: “Our home team and consultants are absolutely delighted that our vision for the future of Brecon Cathedral can now be realised, thanks to the National Lottery players and our additional funders.
“Now we can start work, fixing decades of urgent repairs, offering a safe and accessible welcome to all who visit, and sharing the excitement we all feel for our history and culture, whilst enhancing our position at the heart of community.
“The project will ensure [that] the cathedral, with its history, heritage, and outward-facing mission is here for future generations to enjoy as we have. We have an ambitious events programme planned to accompany the work, and I know that every visitor will find something of interest. Please come and see for yourself.”
Work is due to begin in March with the opening of a new west entrance. Interior reordering, and the replacement of south transept roofs, are due to take place during the summer. Further roofs are to be replaced until the project ends in 2028.
The director of the National Lottery Heritage Fund in Wales, Andrew White, said: “Thanks to National Lottery players, this funding will help Brecon Cathedral strengthen its role at the heart of the community, safeguard its heritage, and create new ways for people to engage with its story for generations to come.”
