Has anyone been to St Paul's recently, and at what stage is the restoration? We went last year, and were somewhat disappointed with how much of the interior was covered by tarps.

I was by St.Paul's last month. Although I didn't go inside, I read some of the signs describing the restoration. Some of the work is scheduled to be done by this November, while other restoration is scheduled to last for a couple more years. This is the reality of the situation in that restoration is required from time to time.

I went to Washington D.C. last year and the Peterson House where Lincoln died was closed for restoration. I shall just have to make another trip there.

London has never disappointed me as it is an absolute joy to spend time there. I would submit that in the near future St.Paul's will be once again be its splendid self.

Went inside St. Paul's last week and was not disappointed. The interior was mostly clear of construction work, although there was a lot of staging set up inside the dome. A great deal of the outside is covered in staging also.

Can anyone comment on the current state of the restoration project? Should I still visit in May '05 or hold off until another trip?

The dome is now out of scaffold, it's only a part of London, if you plan your trip around it you'll be utterly disappointed.

m_kingdom2, I meant should I still visit the cathedral! My trip to London is not based solely on whether or not I can visit St. Paul's.

Does anyone know if the exterior is still covered with scaffolding, and if so, when is it scheduled to be down.

I walked past St. Paul's last Monday when I was on my way to the Tate Modern. At least part of the west side of the cathedral was draped in tarps. The side of the cathedral that faces the Millennium Bridge appeared to be scaffold free. I didn't walk completely around the building so I don't know what condition the rest of it is in.

This isn't the usual continuing maintenance: it's a big, one-off programme geared to the tercentenary of the opening in 1708.

The Cathedral seems rather cagey about announcing detailed timetables for this pretty elaboate programme - possibly, though this may be unduly cynical - to continue giving the impression that the programme's completion still depends on donations.

The restoration isn't just about cleaning the stonework: there's the inevitable clutch of visitor centres, and "interpretation facilities" as well as new bits to be opened up. They keep on saying it'll all be finished by 2008.

So expect some faffing about for the next three years still. But no cathedral worth its salt is ever without some reworking going on, and a few bits of scaffold are just part of being a living institution.