Watch: Spectacular drone footage of Chichester Cathedral

For the first time in its 900-year history, an unmanned aerial vehicle, known as a drone, was used to capture some extraordinary footage of both inside and outside the historic building.

In October 2014, the Cathedral spire was hit by lightning, so the drone was flown to carry out a close inspection of the stonework to check for any damage.

As well as flying around the spire, giving breathtaking shots of the city landscape, it also flew through the Cloisters and inside the Cathedral nave.

A 2min 38sec video has been uploaded to YouTube and gives viewers a fantastic opportunity to experience and explore the city landmark and surrounding area from a very unique perspective.

The drone was remote controlled from the ground by qualified operators www.sussexbyair.com, who are approved by the Civil Aviation Authority. The drone was equipped with a powerful camera which delivers high resolution photographs or video that can be viewed while the flight is taking place.