ROCHESTER Cathedral is to receive £42,000 to help towards repair work.

The grant comes as part of English Heritage’s joint cathedrals Grants Scheme with the Wolfson Foundation.

Dr Edwina Bell, director of operations at Rochester Cathedral, said: “We are delighted at the grant.

“The money will be spent making a digital survey of the cathedral which will make it easier for architects to do future work.

“This is essential to us because everything has to be drawn up by hand each time work is carried out. The digital survey will mean all future repairs will not only be cheaper for us but will take less time.”

The cathedral is England’s second oldest, having been founded in 604 AD by Bishop Justus, and the present building dates back to the work of the French monk, Gundulf, in 1080.

It has glorious Norman architecture in the nave, parts of the crypt, and a Romanesque façade, and also has fine examples of later Gothic styles as well as the magnificent 14th century Chapter Library door - one of the oldest doors in England.

Dr Simon Thurley, Chief Executive of English Heritage, said: “Cathedrals are the princes of English buildings.

“They are imposing, stately, even terrifying – especially from the roof.

“A huge amount of work has to go into securing this grandeur and majesty for generations to come. The grants will go some way to helping the custodians of these titans in this task.”

Paul Ramsbottom, Executive Secretary of the Wolfson Foundation, said: “We are pleased to fund alongside English Heritage, and we have again benefited greatly from their wise advice.”

The English Heritage cathedral grants scheme has been running since 1991 when a survey showed that the country’s 61 cathedrals were facing a huge backlog of repairs that they could not fund alone.

The sums awarded to date add up to nearly £49.5 million.