Staff at Wells Cathedral were treated to a once-in-a-lifetime view of its historic West Front, as part of a behind-the-scenes tour of the ongoing conservation works.

Archivist Veronica Howe joined a small group of colleagues to climb the scaffold platforms and see the 13th-century carvings up close – including kings, queens, angels, and even Adam and Eve caught mid-sin.

The team was shown the intricate restoration work being carried out by expert conservators from Cliveden Conservation, who are carefully patching and reinforcing stone using traditional techniques like lime mortar and shelter coats.

Ms Howe, who has spent years cataloguing documents from the cathedral's landmark 1970s and '80s restoration project, said it was "humbling" to touch stone carved by hand over 800 years ago. "Every time I walk past now, I will remember the feeling of placing my hand over a hand carved by someone who has watched over Wells for centuries," she said.

She also revealed that archive records played a key role in this year's conservation efforts – helping the cathedral architect identify which figures needed urgent attention, including figure 215, the Queen of Sheba.

Conservators shared stories about the materials and techniques they use, from Doulting stone to lime washing. Ms Howe was able to offer her own nugget of history – that water from the Bishop's Palace moat was once used to wash the West Front during a drought in the 1970s.

The tour also uncovered tiny, often-missed details in the stonework – like puzzled expressions on faces rising from coffins at the resurrection, or the puffed cheeks of a trumpet-blowing angel.

Staff say they left with a deeper appreciation of the medieval craftsmanship – and the painstaking work now going into preserving it for generations to come.