Portsmouth Cathedral celebrated a significant milestone in its essential repairs programnme with a 'topping off' ceremony.

Sir Paul Ruddock, a Commissioner of the National Infrastructure Commission, unveils a special plaque to be placed on the cathedral tower.

If you have visited Old Portsmouth in recent months, you will have noticed the tower of Portsmouth Cathedral clad in scaffolding.

Essential repairs to the tower have been underway since last summer, thanks in great part to a special grant the First World War Centenary Cathedral Repair Fund.

The ceremony celebrated a significant milestone in the progress of the building work.

Guests were greeted by Dean of Portsmouth, the Very Reverend David Brindley, and attended a presentation by Cathedral Architect Simon Ablett on the restoration work undertaken by Daedalus Conservation and RW Armstrong.

An up-close tour of the building works provided guests with a look at the progress of the work while ascending the scaffolding in place on the outside of the cathedral tower.

Sir Paul Ruddock unveiled with the Dean a special commemorative plaque which will be placed on the cathedral tower, which can be viewed by the public in the cathedral nave.

Some of the special guests and dignitaries who attended included Sir Paul Ruddock, a Commissioner of the National Infrastructure Commission; Janet Gough, Director Cathedrals and Church Buildings Division; Councillor Donna Jones Leader, Portsmouth City Council; The Lord Mayor of Portsmouth Councillor Frank Jonas; Rear Admiral Richard Stokes, Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff (Support); Canon Dominic Golding, Dean St John’s Catholic Cathedral; John Wingfield, Architect St John’s Catholic Cathedral; Commander Tim Ash, RN, Captain and Chief Executive Officer HMS Warrior 1860; Helen Bonser‐Wilton, CEO of The Mary Rose Trust; Andy Hindley, Chief Operating Officer/Chief Finance Officer Land Rover BAR.

The First World War Centenary Cathedral Repair Fund consists of a £20 million fund which was made available to all cathedrals in England, for which all Roman Catholic and Church of England cathedrals were invited to bid.

Both the city’s cathedrals, Portsmouth Cathedral, St Thomas of Canterbury and St John’s Roman Catholic Cathedral, are amongst the 31 Cathedrals which received grants thanks to the government-sponsored fund set up to support vital repairs to some of England’s most important historic buildings.

The grants were first announced by the Chancellor in the budget in March 2014, in recognition of the powerful symbol cathedrals are of Britain’s shared history, as well as the significant role they will play throughout the commemorations of the centenary of the First World War.

Images of the works photographed by Jonty Sexton, as well as several artefacts including removed timbers are on display in the nave of the cathedral.

Building work is expected to be completed later this spring, including the reinstallation of the iconic ‘Golden Barque’ ship on the top of the cathedral tower.