Northern Ireland has some of the finest churches in the United Kingdom. Now the different traditions are collaborating to keep them in good repair and to share their heritage

Drones have been buzzing over some of Northern Ireland’s finest churches, homing in on every nook and cranny. They swoop over vast neo-Gothic piles, neo-classical porticoed ­masterpieces, ancient stone churches amid spectacular scenery and much else besides. They show up missing tiles and slates, loose lead and blocked gutters. The intention is to spot small problems and fix them before they become big ones.

Drone surveys, funded by the Department for Communities at the Northern Ireland office, are one of the many ways in which the National Churches Trust (NCT) supports churches and chapels in Northern Ireland. The trust’s bespoke project – called Treasure Ireland – was launched last year and is running until 2023.