A restoration project in Shrewsbury Cathedral has led to a stunning discovery. Whilst attempting to ensure the building is returned to its former beauty, over thirty years of dust and grime were removed from the floor to expose a stunning mosaic that has been hiding away since the 80s.

The intricate work is a gothic masterpiece from renowned architect Edward Welby Pugin and had been covered over with a wooden floor. Pugin’s father, Augustus, known for designing the interior of the Palace of Westminster, and notbaly for his role spearheading Gothic Revival architecture in the 19th Century, was originally intending on carrying out the work at Shrewsbury Cathedral but died before he was able.

Finding the floor wasn’t a complete surprise, as photos in the cathedral show what lay there before the wooden boards. However the incredible condition of the tiles was only discovered during the renovation with only a minor number of cracks that in no way distract from the beauty of the art.

The cathedral’s development officer Richard Keddie states: “They are of the period. They are very detailed and beautiful mosaics that were made bespoke for Shrewsbury Cathedral. We are very lucky in that there is not much damage to the tiles. Of course there is a religious theme running through.”

Helping restore the mosaic floor to its former glory is only one small part in the entire Shrewsbury Cathedral project, which is expected to take a number of months, and even years. The original pews will be returned to the building from a school in Church Stretton, whilst the Grinshill stone pulpit has been replaced with a replica.

John Taylor and Co, who made the cathedral’s bell in 1856, were employed to restore it and it now proudly sits with an automated ringing system and can be enjoyed by visitors an dlocals alike. Incredible amounts of detail are being respectfully included throughout the project to ensure its inherent beauty is revealed. It will be possible to see the mosaic and other aspects of the restoration from the viewing gallery on Saturdays from 12pm and Sundays from 8.30am.

A new post by Hanna Simpson, Diary of a Tile Addict, April 2020.