Friday 5 September 2014

Day 29 - Guest Blogger Canon Malcolm Green

The works at the Cathedral Thursday 4th September 2014 at 1:00pm

When visiting today at, I believe week 7 of a 44 week contract, I was taken around by Jason Everest who is currently standing in as Site Manager for Dave Nash who is on holiday.  Jason was unfortunate to pick up an infection in his knee from kneeling on the ground – always a risk when working in historic buildings!

Crypt floor revealing asbestos
It is still early days as part of the crypt and southern parts of the upper floor are carefully unpicked. Soon the concrete floor in the crypt will be broken up revealing many secrets for the archaeologist to unravel.   One not so pleasant secret has already been found in the crypt floor and library joinery in the form of the dreaded asbestos, and a specialist firm is now awaited to remove this.

Kent Steps
Connecting the two levels on which the asbestos can be seen are the Kent Steps.  Now the stair lift is gone what an interesting comparison between the old brick and stone steps, visible on the south part, and the startling brightness and grain of the plywood treads and risers which cover the remainder.  It is all so well done- just for temporary protection.
'Pigeon Parlour'

Staying with changes in level there will be no doubt excitement as the levels of the flagstones in the up to now enclosed ‘pigeon parlour’‘are lowered down to crypt level to form a space, once roofed over, the new kitchen.

Whole through arcade
In the vicinity of the new kitchen site and the now stripped out existing facility, an opening has been formed through arcade infilling which revealed a very old ‘criss cross’ of timbers which acted as props to the arch before being embedded in the stone infilling. The timbers have rotted away and now an opening is being made through the rubbles walling for a  door and the old timber props  ‘job’ is being fulfilled by modern steel acrow  props.





By the end of my visit men were back from lunch and the sound of tools was audible throughout the east end of the Cathedral. 

Canon Malcolm Green





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