Trial begins to preserve Gloucester Cathedral's cloisters

Gloucester Cathedral has featured in three Harry Potter films

A trial has started to preserve the famous Cloisters at Gloucester Cathedral.

They are believed to have been the first example of fan vaulting and appeared in three Harry Potter films as the set of Hogwarts wizarding school.

Gaps in the ceiling were previously patched with cement by the Victorians which led to cracks and water damage.

A billionaire couple has donated £550,000 towards the restoration of between 40-80 parts of the cloisters.

Work on the cloisters is intricate and will be carried out in situ by hand

Anne Cranston , head of projects at Gloucester Cathedral said: "It's one of our most popular filming destinations but it's also one of a few bits of the old Abbey life that still exists."

The cathedral, with some of the most famous ceilings in the world, has significant architectural importance.

Paul Symon, a stone mason at Gloucester Cathedral, said: "No-one has really touched these since the 1950s and it's quite possible that no one will touch it again for another hundred to two hundred years, so it's really exciting."

There are 40 and 80 parts that need to be restored, some which have not be touched since the 1950s

The work will be carried out by hand by stone masons who are training a team of apprentices and teaching them specialist skills.

Stone mason James Bayliss said the Victorians "were just using things that at the time they thought would be useful for the building".

"With what we know, we can get rid of that cement and re-point it with lime and bring it back to its original state," he added.

A survey conducted in 2019 confirmed the ceilings were at risk.

The trial project will determine how long the whole project might take, estimated to be years or potentially decades.