London - Fundraisers at Bath Abbey were astonished to open a plain brown envelope containing a £1.5million donation from an anonymous benefactor.
The man, who is now known to the church but does not want to be named, pledged the amount in a letter.
It is the largest sum ever received by the Abbey from a private individual and will go towards essential repairs on the building, which dates from the 16th century.
Laura Brown, who is leading the appeal, said: ‘It came in an ordinary-looking envelope, without pomp or fanfare, but the contents were just astounding. We are very grateful for this amazingly generous gift from one remarkable individual.’
The donor said: ‘This generation has a solemn duty to ensure the Abbey is fit and able to carry out its service to the city and the community for the next hundred years.’
The £19.3million Footprint project will stabilise the Abbey’s collapsing floor and introduce an innovative, eco-friendly underfloor heating system using the city’s famous hot springs as a source of energy.
Daily Mail