Peterborough Cathedral has been awarded £200,000 to carry out urgent repairs to part of the floor.

The cathedral’s 19th century mosaic floor was identified in a 2011 survey as being “in very poor state and in urgent need of renewal”.

The work will begin in May and should be completed by the end of the year. In all, an estimated 21,000 small tiles may need to be re-set.

The funding has come from the First World War Centenary Cathedral Repairs Fund.

Revd Charles Taylor, Dean of Peterborough, said: “We are enormously grateful for this grant. This beautiful floor has been in a state of disrepair for some time which means that we have not been able to make full use of this part of the cathedral and it has been inaccessible to visitors.

“It is wonderful that we can now get on with the work and make sure that the building is in good condition as we approach our 900th anniversary in 2018.”