Restoration begins on historic gates at Canterbury Cathedral

HISTORIC gates that have stood at the entrance to Canterbury Cathedral for more than 300 years have been removed.
Expert craftsmen will now spend months restoring the heavy oak ChristChurch gates, which date back to the Restoration of King Charles II.

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Canterbury: Christchurch Gate old oak gates removed from Canterbury Cathedral for renovation

The gates have provided a welcome sight for tourists and pilgrims but have been battered by the elements.
Cathedral spokesman Sheena Daly said: "The need to conserve the gates was pressing, as there was a lot of damage, especially at the bottom, and water could get it which could make them rot."

Engineers from Canterbury-based Artful Logisticshttp://www.artfullogistics.com/ had the huge task of removing the heavy gates on Tuesday, October 11.

Each gate weighs just under a tonne and stands at nearly 4m tall. They were originally to be transported to York so master craftsmen from Houghtons could work on them, but it was decided to rehang them in a specially constructed frame beside the Cathedral so Houghtons could carry out the work at Canterbury.
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Sheena said: "There were concerns the transportation would put too much strain on the doors, so they will be restored at the Cathedral”.
New panels for the gates will be carved in York and taken back to Canterbury. A third gate, the small side entrance used by pedestrians, is also due to be restored but will be taken to York for work.

The restoration work will take three to four months to complete but temporary gates with a picture of the original gates have been put in place.
The Friends of Canterbury Cathedral have donated £250,000 towards the restoration and towards other repairs to the Christ Church Gate.