November 29, 2011 1.16 pm This story is over 147 months old

Prince Charles and Camilla tour Lincoln Cathedral in Lincolnshire visit

Royal visit: Prince Charles and Camilla toured Lincoln Cathedral before they headed off to several other engagements in Lincolnshire.

Their Royal Highnesses, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, visited Lincoln Cathedral on November 29 as part of a day-long Lincolnshire tour.

Prince Charles met participants on the Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment who have spent time in the Cathedral works department.

During his visit the prince accepted the Cathedral’s invitation to become Patron of the Cathedral Fabric Fund.

Cathedral officials also showed Prince Charles some recent acquisitions, including a new set of Chapter copes made by the needlework guild.

He was shown a full size image of the proposed statue of St Mary by sculptor Aidan Hart which is being considered for the re-ordered east end of the Cathedral.

Meanwhile, the duchess toured the Cathedral works department and met crafts men and women involved in masonry, glazing, lead-work and carpentry.

Photos by Dominic Clark for The Lincolnite

Patron of Lincoln Cathedral

His Royal Highness’s term as Patron of the Cathedral Fabric Fund will begin this month and last for five years.

The Very Reverend Philip Buckler, Dean of Lincoln, said he was thrilled with the royal visit:

“For the prince to agree to become our patron is an exceptional honour and reflects on the skills of the men and women who work so hard to preserve this wonderful building.

“In the period during which the prince will be patron, we hope to complete the conservation and restoration of work of restoring the SW and NW turrets at the West End of the cathedral.

“We also aim to build the Fabric Fund to meet the challenges ahead including the restoration of the east end, the Chapter House and the three towers which dominate the Lincoln skyline.”

The cathedral also accepted a donation from The Prince of Wales’s Charitable Foundation toward the Fabric Fund.

A day in Lincolnshire

Throughout the day, the prince will also visit Riseholme College to discuss the future of British farming with members of Lincolnshire Young Farmers.

He will meet supporters of The Prince’s Countryside Fund and members of the Lincolnshire farming community at a reception before giving a speech.

During this time, the duchess will carry out a solo engagement at a lunch party with members of Lincolnshire South Women’s Institute.

Camilla, who is a member of Tetbury Evening Women’s Institute, is expected to discuss rural life with members of the Lincolnshire group.

The pair will make a final stop at the Cholmeley Arms in the Burton-le-Coggles village, situated between Stamford and Grantham.