34
Major Alterations to Cathedral
The erection of Christ Church Cathedral, Nelson, commenced in 1925, is being taken a step nearer completion. Nelson residents travelling along Trafalgar Street, and those attending services, will have noticed quite a lot of activity around the cathedral and some odd-looking platforms on the cathedral roof. Many will have wondered. The answer is that the temporary roof over the nave is no longer weatherproof and is being replaced - by a permanent roof. As well, structural alterations have also been undertaken at the entrance. Each of the finials (small spires at either side of the entrance) have been lowered by about 5ft and preliminary work has commenced on the completion of the remainder of the top section of the front entrance. When this is done the only work left to be carried out before the cathedral can be considered completed, is the rebuilding and enlargment of the chancel with permanent materials. This work will not be undertaken at this stage.
For the benefit of many who have never seen a perspective drawing of the cathedral as it was planned originally, we reproduce on this page a painting of the cathedral by E. W. English in 1925. This painting was in turn photographed by Mr F. N. Jones. In the completed building as i envisaged at the moment, the building will have neither the tower, the side entrances, nor the top section of roofing and spired stonework above the entrance. Because of earthquake risk, erection of the tower was prohibited many years ago.
35
36
Construction work on the roof is at present at the preliminary stage
Scaffolding being erected around a finial
New addition to cathedral's beauty is this pair of stained glass windows depicting the crossing of the Red Sea and the baptism of Christ - the bequest of Miss L. M. Hunter-Brown in memory of her parents.