SHOPPERS craned their necks in disbelief as a historian and his film crew scaled the outside of Lincoln Cathedral.

Architectural expert Dr Jonathan Foyle was visiting the city as part of a new 15-part TV series called Climbing Great Buildings.

The show, which will appear on BBC2, looks at the design and construction of iconic buildings and the role they played in the history of British architecture and engineering.

But for the Lincolnshire lad, who grew up in Market Deeping, near Stamford, the chance to get up close with the city's medieval landmark was a dream come true.

"It's delightful, a great opportunity," he said.

"There's a little bit of self-interest as I studied at Lincoln Art College in the 1980s and it's one of the buildings that got me interested in architecture.

"So to come back and get closer and see all kinds of details which you can't see from the ground – it's remarkable.

"When this show came up I suggested Lincoln as one of the sites as I'm a lifelong fan.

"Going up the tower you can see where Victorian restorers have patched bits and bobs, but you can also see the medieval work.

"The thing that struck me reaching the top of that central tower is it is only halfway to the top of what was the medieval steeple.

It must have been the great sight of medieval England and the pinnacle of civilisation."

Fellow climber Lucy Creamer, seven times British climbing champion, said: "It's been amazing – and really great having Jonathan there as well, as any questions I had about the building, he knew the answers. I've done quite a bit of work on old buildings with the company that are doing the rigging for the series, but to get to climb buildings like this, I feel privileged – I'm having a ball.

"Lincoln Cathedral is definitely the most dramatic building I've climbed so far – just to imagine how they built these structures all those hundreds of years ago – it's incredible."

Carol Heidschuster, works manager at Lincoln Cathedral, said: "I think the completed episode will give people a chance to see sights they wouldn't ordinarily, as the show is going behind the scenes in the cathedral roof and looking at the flying buttresses and the tower. I think it's going to be a really fascinating programme."

Dr Foyle trained as an architect and art historian. He holds a doctorate in Archaeology and developed a practical knowledge of historic monuments over the course of 15 years.

Though a teacher of architectural history for Cambridge University, he is probably best known for his TV work, with appearances on BBC1's The One Show, BBC4's Henry VIII: Patron and Plunderer and the History Channel's Lost Worlds series.

The Lincoln Cathedral episode of Climbing Great Building's will be shown on BBC2 at 6.30pm on Tuesday, September 7.