The Estates Department at Chichester Cathedral has a large collection of documents relating to the structure of the Cathedral and the adjacent buildings that it owns.
These are working plans, drawings, minutes, letters, notes, photos and pictures relating to the last 100 years. These items are currently located in the Muniment Room, above the South Transept in the Cathedral, stored in over 100 cardboard boxes and plastic sacks.
Arts Society Chichester Lavant Valley have kindly volunteered their time and expertise, archiving and logging all of the items. Thus far, the team have discovered papers from the Cathedral Workshop Organisation from the 1970s and 1980s, as well as boxes which contain papers relating to work that the organisation did for other cathedrals and churches.
The Cathedral Works Organisation was proposed to the Chapter by Robert Potter, Surveyor to the Cathedral from 1959. It does not state the date it was formed, but it seems its first project was the reconstruction of the Arundel Screen (Pulpitum) in 1961. It became a Trust in 1973. There are boxes of papers relating to many projects at churches, cathedrals and other public buildings across southern England. The earliest that we have found is in 1971 at St Thomas a Becket Church, Pagham. It had contracts with the Houses of Parliament 1974-1976, Sherbourne Abbey 1980 and 3 major projects with St Johns College Oxford over 15 years in 1970s and 1980s.
The end result will be documents shelved in boxes and labelled for easy access with a separate catalogue with details and exact location.
As we continue to share our discoveries and you can keep up to date on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About Arts Society Chichester Lavant Valley
The Arts Society is a leading arts education charity with a global network of over 300 local Societies which bring together people through a shared curiosity for the arts.
Their events provide welcoming places to hear expert lecturers share their specialist knowledge about the arts. They preserve and contribute to their artistic heritage through volunteering and grants.
In Chichester, there are 4 Arts Societies, who share ideas and plans. The Arts Society Chichester Lavant Valley has 235 members. It meets in the historic Assembly Room, Chichester on the second Tuesday of every month from October to June. They have a varied, interesting and stimulating programme of lectures given by leading experts in their fields on all aspects of the visual arts and architecture, sometimes linked to music, drama and literature. Visits are also organised museums, art galleries, stately homes and gardens. Small grants are made to local organisations working with adults and children with an interest in the arts. Members have also the opportunity to be involved in volunteering in arts related activities.
New members are always welcome. Please email membershipas20@gmail.com.