The cathedral was pretty much closed for restorations when I visited and will be for a couple more years.

When I arrive, I find that there is a small door open on the opposite side of the cathedral to where I’ve approached from. I go through and leave my bag just inside the entrance. I am in a chapel that, at first, seems quite large and I start to think that maybe I will be able to see more than I thought. It’s only when I go through a little passageway to the main section of the church that I realise what a small proportion of the building the chapel is.

Here is where all the work is happening. The passageway is covered with scaffolding and boards and, by peeking through some cracks, I can see up to the ceiling and across to some of the windows. There’s an enormous space in there that, when open, must be quite breathtaking. It’s a pity that they’ve decided to hide it from view rather than give visitors an opportunity to see the restoration work that’s going on.