Exeter Cathedral is to auction off a variety of stonework carvings, to raise funds for essential conservation work and visitor experience improvements.
Taking place in partnership with Exeter-based auctioneers, Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood, the online auction will feature unique carvings that have been removed from the cathedral as part of ongoing building conservation works. Items on offer will include handcrafted 19th and 20th century stonework, including Victorian pinnacles, alongside more modern carvings by the Exeter Cathedral stonemasons.
As Exeter Cathedral’s Clerk of Works, Chris Sampson, explains, the auction will be a very rare opportunity for bidders to own a piece of Exeter Cathedral:
“This is a unique chance to give a home to a piece of Exeter Cathedral’s history. These architectural fragments have been part of the cathedral fabric for many years, but the time has come for them to be replaced.
“The stonework on offer has been hand carved by skilled craftspeople of previous generations, and the replacement carvings are being produced using the same traditional techniques, skills and tools.”
The auction is part of The Exeter Cathedral 2020s Development Appeal – an ambitious project designed to raise funds to preserve the ancient building for future generations through essential conservation and improvement works, while also improving accessibility and sustainability. A new visitor interpretation scheme is also to be created, designed to engage a wider audience in the story of the cathedral.
The online auction will begin on Monday 3 June and will run until 5pm on Sunday 15 September. For those interested in bidding on the stonework, there will also be in-person viewing opportunities at Exeter Cathedral from 10-15 September.