The £1.1m scheme to make medieval abbey accessible

A £1.1m programme of works to make a medieval abbey more accessible will be the "most significant improvements" to the site for more than a century, its rector has said.

Sherborne Abbey in Dorset welcomes more than 50,000 visitors each year but has no public toilets and there is no disabled access to its Lady Chapel.

Planned improvements include accessible toilets, a wheelchair lift, a new vestry and a permanent hospitality area.

Work has begun with the relocation of some monuments to accommodate the new facilities, including the 16th-century Horsey monument to Sir John Horsey II and his son Sir John Horsey III, which were last moved during the Victorian era.

The 12th-century Abbot Clement monument has also been moved, with a time capsule placed inside when it was reassembled.

The abbey and the Friends of Sherborne Abbey have committed more than £540,000 for the works and are hoping to raise a further £600,000.

An online fundraiser has already gathered more than £250,000 in donations.

Sherborne Abbey dates back more than 1,300 years and the 12th and 15th-century, grade I listed building is often referred to as the "cathedral of Dorset".

Initial plans to build an extension to the west of the medieval building were scrapped in favour of creating the facilities within the existing structure.

The abbey said the changes had been "designed with great care, making use of areas of more recent construction and respecting the historic fabric of this remarkable place".

The new vestry will be created beneath the organ loft, with the wheelchair lift and hospitality area installed in the Lady Chapel and Ambulatory.

The toilets will be located in the existing vestry block, with drainage work carried out over the summer months to avoid disturbing neighbouring Sherborne School, before the main construction can begin.

Team rector, the Reverend Martin Lee, said the improvements were "long overdue", adding: "Part of my job spec when applying for the role was to tackle toilets.

"The current lack of facilities is completely unsuitable for many of our visitors, especially older members of the congregation, families and people with disabilities."

Lee said the upgrades were the "most significant improvements" since the 1920s when the Lady Chapel - separated from the abbey during the Reformation - was reinstated.

He said: "This will ensure that the abbey remains not only a place of beauty, worship and heritage, but one that is welcoming, inclusive and practical for all."