As well as the stonework and pointing, the 13th Century statues, including one of St Peter, are in urgent need of conservation and repair. With the help of a £21,000 grant from English Heritage, the £100,000 first phase of the work has now started, but a full £500,000 is needed to complete the work to keep Peterborough Cathedral as one of the most attractive landmarks in the country.

The hard cement put on the exposed surfaces of the West Front 50 years ago has been removed as it was causing erosion to accelerate. Defective stone will be replaced, but there is more of this than was anticipated. The aim of the repairs is to put the stonework into a condition where no further work will be required for another 50 years. The scaffolding is likely to remain in place until the end of 2007.

You can keep track of the work through PeterCam - our live webcam showing what is happening now at Peterborough cathedral.