Sunday Times November 25th 2007-11-26
Westminster Abbey is not a museum but contains within it
some of the most
incredible
treasures that can be seen by anyone visiting this
1000 year old abbey.
One of its great treasures is the
Coronation Chair also
known as St. Edwards Chair made in 1300 for Edward I and to hold the Stone of
Scone which had just been stolen from the Scots. It is in this chair that
almost every monarch, including Queen Elizabeth II has sat during their
coronation in the Abbey. However, its gilding has come away from the wooden
base as a result of being unprotected from the Abbey’s heating. Despite
repairs, more damage is inevitable if humidity cannot be controlled.
The Abbey contains many other national treasures including
the 14th century seats, the altar and a mosaic known as the Cosmati
pavement are at risk due to the Victorian heating system installed to keep
worshippers warm without realising potential long-term damage to artefacts.
A grant of £20,000 and an appeal for £750,000 may help to
alleviate the conditionsand affect repairs to objjets already damaged by
hundreds of years of wear and tear and wildly fluctuating humidity levels.