Shrewsbury Cathedral given £300,000 windfall

The money totalling £280,866 will be used for general maintenance as well as creating a disabled access for the front porch of the building in Belmont.

The cathedral is one of 31 that will benefit from the First World War Centenary Cathedral Repairs Fund – a government-sponsored scheme set up to help finance repairs to some of the country's most important historic buildings.

ChurchCare, the cathedral and church buildings division of the Church of England, today welcomed Chancellor George Osborne's announcement that the final phase of the scheme will provide 31 cathedrals with grants of between £12,000 and £800,000.

These will be used as part of essential and urgent repairs ranging from repairs to roofs and stonework through to complete re-wiring.

The Right Reverend Mark Davies, the Bishop of Shrewsbury, welcomed the grant. He said: "The development of the cathedral, which these grants will assist, will help to make this smallest of England's cathedrals a more open and accessible centre for both town and diocese."

Canon Jonathan Mitchell, the dean of the cathedral, added: "The grant will enable us to improve access to the cathedral for our visitors and parishioners through the main doors of the cathedral."

The Bishop of Worcester, Dr John Inge, lead bishop for cathedrals and church buildings in the Church of England, said: "This final round of grants shows the diversity of projects which need support, but also the ambition and open-mindedness of cathedrals when it comes to making themselves the centres of their communities."

Meanwhile, several south Shropshire churches have been awarded a share of nearly £300,000 for urgent repairs to their roofs.

St Catherine's in Tugford and Heath Chapel in Bouldon, both near Craven Arms, have been awarded £100,000 each, while St John the Baptist Church in Kenley, near Much Wenlock, has been given £93,800. The money, from the Listed Places of Worship Roof Repair Fund, was also announced by Mr Osborne.

Ludlow MP Philip Dunne said: "Heath Chapel is an important example of a Norman church in rural south Shropshire, and this funding will help ensure it remains for future generations."