South East Transept

Replacing the lead on the South East Transept roof of Canterbury Cathedral

There are more than 2,500 lead tiles on the roof of Canterbury Cathedral. The lead was last replaced in most areas more than 150 years ago. Over the next ten years donations to The Canterbury Gift will fund the re-roofing of much of the Cathedral.

The South East Transept was the area in most urgent need of re-leading. A generous donation from the Fidelity UK Foundation provided the majority of the financial support for the work to take place. With stonework dating from the eleventh and twelfth centuries, the roof is supported by pitch-pine and oak battens dating from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The leaking roof was causing damage to these timbers.

Around two thirds of the lead that came off the roof was recast and re-cycled, using traditional methods which give the tiles a much longer life. Each lead sheet is more than 2m long and a square metre weighs 40 kilos. Each sheet is 3.55mm thick. The new roof has a life expectancy of 200 years.