Durham Cathedral to get £2.6m for Covid-19 recovery

Durham Cathedral is receiving funding from the government's Culture Recovery Fund

Durham Cathedral is receiving more than £2.6m from the government to help it recover from the impact of lockdowns.

The cathedral was awarded £1.9m in 2020 from the Culture Recovery Fund and has now been granted a further £732,800.

Cathedral chiefs said the funds will go towards "essential maintenance" and paying the salaries of almost 60 staff.

The funds will be "instrumental in supporting the phased reopening of the great Norman cathedral", a spokeswoman said.

The Very Reverend Andrew Tremlett, Dean of Durham, said: "It is difficult to overstate the impact of the grant on Durham Cathedral, allowing us to deliver a transformational change programme that will safeguard the cathedral's future at the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage Site for generations to come.

"When we closed our doors in March 2020 we could not have imagined the challenges we would face in the year ahead; but it is certain we would not be in the strong position we are now without the Culture Recovery Fund."

The £1.57bn fund was announced by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport in December and is being administered by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England.