Raising Salisbury Cathedral’s giant 32ft Christmas tree

The carefully selected Christmas tree is hoisted into position in the nave of Salisbury Cathedral

A giant 32ft (9.75m) tall Christmas tree has been hoisted into position in the nave of Salisbury Cathedral.

The Norway Spruce was delivered to the cathedral on the back of a lorry and manoeuvred into the building with a cherry picker.

The "perfect Christmas tree" was selected by the Cathedral's Clerk of Works from Longleat Forest more than a year ago.

It will remain in place until Candlemas on 2 February, 2024.

The 32ft tree was delivered to the Cathedral by a haulage company

The tree, selected last year from Longleat Estate, was carefully manoeuvred through the main doors of the Cathedral with a cherry picker

Raising the Cathedral's gigantic tree involved a team from the Works Yard using a small winch and a system of ropes.

But it fell to ecclesiastical joiner Richard Pike, to decorate the tree with more than 1,000 fairy lights.

The tree was raised using a small winch and a system of ropes by the works yard team

Getting the tree into place was a difficult and time-consuming operation

The huge tree was originally grown as a "nurse" tree on the Longleat Estates sustainable forest to try and protect small self-seeded oak trees.

By allowing the conifers to grow tall, the trees can shield little oaks from frost and bad weather, and create a microclimate in which saplings can flourish.

The tree has been decorated with more than 1,000 fairy lights

The tree will remain in place until Candlemas on 2 February, 2024

The tree will remain in place until Candlemas, the day on which the Church celebrates the presentation of Jesus in the temple.

Follow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: [e-mail]

.