The removal of the Arundel Screen in 1859 in order to open up the space between the Nave and the Quire revealed serious cracks in the masonry above. The subsequent collapse of the Cathedral's Tower and Spire in 1861 was therefore no surprise. A programme of rebuilding overseen by Sir George Gilbert Scott took over 5 years before both were repaired and the Cathedral was able to reopen for worship in 1866.
A number of archive images of the aftermath of the collapse and the subsequent rebuilding programme have been digitised and helped to form part of ‘The Collapse of the Cathedral Spire: An inspiring tale of a crumbling landmark and Victorian builders’ Heritage Lottery Funded project, and are available to view on this page. 
