University of Chester History and Archaeology students will work with Emily Lanigan and Naomi Watts-Kitto from the Cathedral Works Department on Monday June 20 to contribute to the upkeep of its significant book collection and discuss the work with visitors.

The event is free and part of Chester Heritage Festival, which aims to bring the city’s history to life and tell t

he stories that have accumulated over two millennia.

Emily and Naomi will train six student volunteers to assess the state of books in the Cathedral Library, collected by Bishop of Chester, William Jacobson in the 19th Century.

They will prioritise them for conservation, and complete aspects of the conservation such as cleaning and binding. The work will be open to the public to view and discuss in the Cathedral nave.

Dr Thomas Pickles, Senior Lecturer in Medieval History at the University of Chester, said: “Our students also supported the conservation, the Cathedral event and the Heritage Festival last year. They really enjoyed the experience and chatting to visitors about the work - now the new group is looking forward to volunteering.

“It’s a great opportunity for students to learn new heritage skills for their future careers, to play a part in the preservation of the Cathedral's wonderful book collection, and to raise awareness of the Cathedral, its unique blend of medieval and modern history and all it offers as a public place for the people of Chester and beyond."

People can drop in to the Cathedral at St Werburgh Street and see the work on the collection, on Monday June 20, between 10am and 12pm. Entry is free, however donations are welcome.

An annual event, Chester Heritage Festival is a partnership led by Cheshire West and Chester Council, Chester Civic Trust, Marketing Cheshire, Chester Cathedral and others, with a host of live and online events organised up until June 27.

For further information on the Festival and the book conservation event please visit: www.chesterheritagefestival.co.uk.