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The Big Tower Top-Up
Our cathedral’s timber belfry is a defining feature of Portsmouth’s skyline, and it urgently needs care.
This year, we have a rare and time-sensitive chance to complete essential repairs efficiently, without the need for full scaffolding, a solution that could otherwise cost four times as much.
Protect our cities' skyline
Our cathedral’s timber belfry is a defining feature of Portsmouth’s skyline, and it urgently needs care. This year, we have a rare and time-sensitive chance to complete essential repairs efficiently, without the need for full scaffolding, a solution that could otherwise cost four times as much!
By supporting The Big Tower Top-up, you’re helping us act now to protect this historic structure and the city’s skyline.
Why your support matters…
Protect our cities' skyline
Our cathedral’s timber belfry is a defining feature of Portsmouth’s skyline, and it urgently needs care. This year, we have a rare and time-sensitive chance to complete essential repairs efficiently, without the need for full scaffolding, a solution that could otherwise cost four times as much!
By supporting The Big Tower Top-up, you’re helping us act now to protect this historic structure and the city’s skyline.
Our current belfry is over 300 years old and forms a core part of our cathedral's architecture connecting the medieval and 20th-century parts of our church.
We need to complete regular maintenance every 5–10 years to prevent decay; this is alongside numerous other annual projects we undertake to protect our city's historic cathedral.
Protecting our cities’ historic skyline is essential; a tower in some form has been on this site for over 800 years with a fascinating history, with the original mediaeval tower suffering collapse and Civil War cannonball damage. The tower we see today was subsequently rebuilt in 1691.