St Paul's is looking good

At almost 300 years old, St Paul's Cathedral was in desperate need of reviving.

The famous stone was blackened and eroded.

But today, the impressive £5 million restoration of the western facade of one of London's most remarkable buildings was unveiled after 18 months of dedicated work.

The results are startling; visitors are now able to see the church as it would have looked in the early 18th century.

Scaffolding has now been removed from the West Front and steps - the main ceremonial entrance that is the most famous facade of Sir Christopher Wren's masterwork.

The view from the top of Ludgate Hill is one of the most iconic. Throughout history, monarchs, national leaders and other eminent figures have entered through the famous West Doors. Cleaning was carried out by highly skilled craftsmen using gentle sandblasting devices.

The aim was not to achieve a pristine appearance but to remove harmful sulphate deposits and dirt, unify the colour of the Portland stone and restore the appearance; paid for in full by the late Sir Paul Getty.

The work mainly comprised of stone cleaning and repair but also included the re-carving of eroded stones, re-gilding, repairs to the clock face and bells and the relaying of the West Front steps.

The Dean of St Paul's, the Very Rev Dr John Moses, said: "This is the world-famous view of St Paul's and I'm delighted with the work. There is now a mellow colour to the stone which seems to be true. It is really craftsmanship of a very high order and we are confident it will see us through much of this century.

"This was last cleaned in the early 1960s but was not really satisfactory. I should think it last appeared as it does now on the day it was built."

The West Front project is the third phase of a ?40million programme that will see St Paul's cleaned and repaired inside and out. It is due to end in 2008 to mark its 300th anniversary.

Sir Roger Gibbs, Chairman of the St Paul's Cathedral Foundation, said: "So far, ?31 million has been raised. We still need a further ?9 million."