There are fixer-uppers, then there is the nine-month, £2 million refit of St German’s Cathedral in Peel.

The project is intended to secure the long-term future of the building, Dean Nigel Godfrey told the Examiner.

Beyond the basic structural and electrical work needed to maintain the 140-year-old Cathedral is a drive for accessibility, sustainability and to expand the building’s role as a community hub, exhibition space and concert venue.

Among the projects is the creation of two floors of meeting rooms in the north vestry, accessible toilets, a commercial kitchen and a new, accessible entrance in the south transept.

This involved the delicate work of cutting directly underneath the huge stained glass window with diamond saws to avoid unnecessary vibration.

Scroll through our picture gallery below to see the full scale of the restoration work taking place at Peel Cathedral

Most dramatic of all is the wholesale replacement of the entire Cathedral floor, now made completely level to improve accessibility. Underneath are the necessary cables and infrastructure for upgraded audio-visual equipment and an underfloor heating system. The heat will eventually be provided by air-source heat pumps, as part of a future project to make the building carbon neutral.

The final layer of limestone flagstones is scheduled to be laid in March to complete the floor.

The ongoing work, Dean Godrey said, will enable the cathedral to be used for ‘all sorts of purposes for the community, as well as worship, morning, noon and night.

‘That’s the plan, to make this building really work for its living’, he said.

Having closed its doors in August 2023, the cathedral is expected to reopen in May. The works are costing around £2 million raised by donors, parishioners and sponsors.

To follow the project, or make a contribution, visit www.cathedral.im