HEREFORD Cathedral has received a quarter of a million pounds towards repair work on a 16th century walkway.

The money has been handed over by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and will go towards roofing and lighting work on St John's Walk.

The covered Tudor walkway, which links the cathedral to the College Cloisters, has carved roof timbers of particular significance.

"We are delighted with the news," said the Very Revd Michael Tavinor, Dean of Hereford.

"The walk is a much loved part of the cathedral and, with the choir passing through it on a daily basis to and from services, and is still used as it was intended over 500 years ago."

The project will include re-roofing the walk with stone tiles and delivering an education and interpretation programme about the work, which will start early next year and take around nine months to complete.

"We are conscious that the works will be going on during a Hereford Three Choirs Festival,’ said the Dean.

"But this will be a wonderful way in which we can share our rich heritage with our many visitors."

The HLF grant, awarded to Hereford Cathedral Perpetual Trust, will be matched funded by gifts from the Garfield Weston Foundation, Tabor Charitable Trust and the WA Cadbury Charitable Trust.