WINCHESTER Cathedral is already a history-lovers dream, but now it has even more reason to hold that title.
Firefighters returned a World War II fire pump to its original home in the Nave roof space last week.
It was part of the fire precautions during the war and was previously on display in the small museum at the former fire station in North Walls.
Although the pump is not dated, it is believed to have been made locally.
Fire Station manager Ben Smith has recently become a cathedral tower guide and offered the item back to the Norman church, where it now sits beside the fire warden's chair.
He said: "It is good that the pump is being returned to the cathedral, which we know is where it came from.
"Given that its capacity is just 100 litres and it is a hand-pump, I wouldn't like to fight a roof fire with it today!"
Leader of the cathedral's guides, Jeff Steer, said: "The pump is a part of the cathedral and the city's history and will now be there for people to see as another one of the cathedral's 'hidden stories'."
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