Repair of Wrexham Cathedral Spire
Wrexham - Repair of the Cathedral Spire - £25,000
The Cathedral spire is one of the best known landmarks in Wrexham holding a prominent position in the townscape. The spire is in danger, if left, to deteriorate to a state that it will become dangerous.
The Victorian builders used iron ties to hold the stone blocks together; these ties have rusted and expanded causing some movement of the blocks. This deterioration has reached a critical point and action must be taken before more serious damage and loss of stone takes place. Just one more severe winter might result in larger pieces of stone being dislodged.
The gothic style building was built in the mid 1850’s by Richard Thompson, a local collier and iron master. It became the pro-Cathedral Diocese of Menevia when it was established in 1898. The coats of arms, belonging to the bishops of that era, can be found on display in the Cathedral cloister. In 1987 it became the Cathedral Church of the newly created Diocese of Wrexham.
A shrine to Saint Richard commemorates a local teacher, husband and father who was martyred in Wrexham’s Beast Market in an age of religious intolerance. The Cathedral has many high quality stained glass windows that are memorials to families whose lives where irrevocably connected to the 19th century growth of Wrexham as a town, also to be seen is a replica of Michelangelo’s Pieta and a plaque to the memory of flight Lieutenant David Lord V.C.
The Cathedral serves the catholic community of Wrexham with regular Masses; it is a haven to all who care to step inside in search of peace, tranquility and hope. It attracts a congregation of around 500 every Sunday and between 60 – 100 visits daily, the majority of these are from the Wrexham area. The cathedral also has a community building which is regularly used by community groups including a pre-school playgroup and toddlers group, groups serving people in need, Alcoholics Anonymous, the traveler community and ethnic/cultural groups are frequent and significant users, as well as recreational groups offering various forms of dance and music.
