Olive oil to save York Cathedral

NPR reports that the Church of England planning to try olive oil in an attempt to save the exterior stone of Yorkminster:


The British have some stunning cathedrals, and York Minster, in the north of England, is one of the most magnificent of all.

Construction on it began 800 years ago, and a mere 2 1/2 centuries later, work was complete.

The result was one of Europe's largest Gothic cathedrals and one that's had a rough ride through history: It's been pillaged and looted, and damaged by devastating fires and lightning strikes.

Today, there's another threat: acid rain. As a result, the cathedral's stones are decaying.

British scientists and archaeologists have teamed up to try to find a solution. One promising possibility may be as close as the kitchen cupboard: olive oil.

More at The Telegraph and Chemistry World.

Posted by Ann Fontaine on January 13, 2013 12:01 PM | |
Comments (3)

Well blow me down. If you'd asked me before this which was a more likely headline I'd have gone with "Popeye to save York Cathedral." Let us not jump to seclusions.

Posted by John B. Chilton [TypeKey Profile Page] | January 13, 2013 2:21 PM

Delicious and useful. What can't Olive Oil do?

Posted by Matthew Buterbaugh+ [TypeKey Profile Page] | January 14, 2013 2:02 PM

They're going to (again, after ~700 years?) anoint the Minster! :-)

JC Fisher

...w/ fond memories of my visit to those holy stones, lo those many years ago.

Posted by tgflux [TypeKey Profile Page] | January 14, 2013 10:33 PM

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