Shrewsbury Cathedral receives funding for window restoration

Shrewsbury Cathedral's east window will be restored thanks to government funding

A Victorian cathedral window will be restored thanks to government funding.

The east window was the first to be installed in Shrewsbury Cathedral when it opened in 1856.

"It's a wonderful window, but it's deteriorated badly over the years," Canon Christopher Matthews said.

The Roman Catholic cathedral will receive £113,992. It is among 142 historic sites that will receive grants from the government's Culture Recovery Fund.

Canon Matthews, the Dean of Shrewsbury Cathedral, said it was "fabulous news".

"It will make a big difference," he said. "It's the first thing you see when you walk in, so it sets everything off really."

Canon Matthews said Shrewsbury Cathedral had "struggled" over the past 18 months.

"It's been really hard not to welcome our parishioners and our visitors," he added. "We're just beginning to open up again and be able to welcome everyone back."

The government has set aside £35m that will be shared across the other 141 historic sites across England.

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said the funding would "help them build back better from the pandemic".