The Bishop of Exeter, the Rt Revd Mike Harrison, is back on holy ground after abseiling down the North Tower of Exeter Cathedral on Saturday.

The 140-foot descent was part of a fundraising effort for the Cathedral’s ‘Investing in Our Welcome’ project, which will see the Cathedral install a new cafe and activity space.

Bishop Mike said: “When you step out at the top, over the turret, all you can see is that it’s a long way down and you are not sure if the ropes are going to be all right. You’re told to push off, which instinctively you don’t want to do, so that’s probably the moment my heart rate was at its highest."

“I would have crossed myself, but I thought the instructor might have thought I was trying to interfere with the mechanics [of the harness] so I decided against it. I’m very glad to have done it," he told onlookers.

Bishop Mike was one of 46 people to take on the abseil challenge for charity.

He added: “The Cathedral is an iconic building right in the centre of Devon. It’s a sign of the Christian faith, but it’s also a centre of hospitality for so many different groups. It’s really important that the fabric is taken care of… it’s a thousand years old, so it’s really important that we raise money to keep it going.”