The Story of St Mary's Aisle

Tue, 16 May 2023 08:53:00 GMT

St Mary’s Aisle is a much-loved piece of old Truro and a triumph of Victorian engineering. Using great ingenuity, the architect, John Loughborough Pearson, saved one aisle of the 16th-century parish church that stood on the prime town centre site given over to the new cathedral in 1880. It had witnessed the baptisms, weddings, and funerals of local families for generations, and still serves as a parish church – the only one within a cathedral in England.

Known as St Mary’s Aisle, it has a very special atmosphere, with glowing stained glass and fascinating ceiling bosses commemorating the achievements of local people. But by 2020, many years had passed since the last serious investment, and it badly needed repair and refurbishment.

The roof was worn out and could not cope any longer. Unsightly marks could be seen on the walls and ceiling near the bosses, and trickling raindrops threatened the floor and 18th-century organ. The old lead gutters and Delabole slate roof needed urgent renewal to keep out increasingly heavy storms, as the climate changes, and there were essential repairs needed to the stonework and windows. The problems also meant that heat was easily lost through the damp walls and roof, increasing carbon emissions as well as making the Aisle chilly in the winter. Internally, the décor and furnishings badly needed refurbishment.

Solving all these problems was essential to secure the future of St Mary’s Aisle. The ambition was to preserve this essential piece of Cornish heritage for decades to come and open up the space for all sorts of events. Bringing St Mary’s Aisle up to standard would make a beautiful and comfortable place for worship, events and activities for all ages.

The repair and refurbishment project started in May 2023 and was completed on schedule over 12 months. The Aisle was closed to the public while work was carried out.

The cathedral is extremely grateful to everyone who contributed to the St Mary’s Aisle Appeal and warmly thanks them for their generosity. Hundreds of local people supported this work, including Mrs Grace Holmes and Mrs Penny Evans, who left gifts in their Wills. Grants were awarded by the following funders:

Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Shared Prosperity Fund.

This project is part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Cornwall Council has been chosen by Government as a Lead Authority for the fund and is responsible for monitoring the progress of projects funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

Duke of Cornwall’s Benevolent Fund

HB Allen Charitable Trust

Benefact Trust

Cornwall Historic Churches Trust

Dulverton Trust

Bernard Sunley Foundation

Wolfson Foundation

Garfield Weston Foundation

Friends of Truro Cathedral

Roof

Wed, 06 Dec 2017 12:15:00 GMT

Our cathedral’s existing roof has been in place since the original roof was slated around 130 years ago. Over that time the roof and original slates have deteriorated to the point they all need replacing.

In 2015, Truro Cathedral launched a five-year, £3.2 million project to undertake the works needed to protect our cathedral.

The physical works

So far, 30,230 of the 60,000 slates have been replaced – marking the completion of the re-slating of the whole of the roof of the western side of the cathedral.

Phase I of the physical work completed in July 2016 - the re-slating of the high level western arm which saw the replacement of almost 22,000 slates. At the same time we also undertook the replacement of the slates on the north aisle – ultimately saving money.

Phase II work started in June 2017 and completed in January 2018. This phase encompassed the re-slating of the south nave aisle, the baptistry, the western aisle of the south transept and the narthex. The baptistry roof in particular with its conical shape required the expertise of highly-experienced roofers.

The planned third and final phase will replace all slates on the eastern arm of the cathedral. It is hoped that all physical works will complete in 2020, but this is dependent on securing the remaining funds needed.

The fundraising

The current total donated is £1.4 million, leaving just over £1.7 million to raise.

In October 2014 and November 2016, the cathedral received two grants of £500,000 each from the government’s World War I Centenary Cathedral Repair Fund, and since the public launch of the Roof Appeal in July 2015, over £400,000 has been kindly donated.

‘Sign-A-Slate’ provides the opportunity for visitors to sign their name or write a message on the back of one of the new slates being used on the roof, with the option to make a donation alongside this. Almost 5,000 people have participated in Sign-A-Slate, with linked donations contributing an incredible £230,000 towards the appeal, and thanks to many supporters choosing to Gift Aid their donation, we’ve reclaimed an additional £50,000!

We extend a sincere thank you to everyone that has supported so far.

Get involved

Fundraising for the roof continues as we work towards the final 3rd stage of essential repairs. This has been delayed due to the challenges of the pandemic and other urgent priorities and the JustGiving page specifically for the roof appeal is not live at this time. Any donation given to the cathedral given via its general fund can then be used where it is needed most, primarily to support its life and work during the post-pandemic recovery including the roof and other restoration. Thank you for your kind support.

Truro Cathedral JustGiving Page

Restoration