Nearly 600 ornamental carvings - known as ‘bosses’ - are under inspection at Christ Church Cathedral in Oxford.

The 576 carvings are spread across four bays of the nave, the main body of the building, and are normally high up in the vaults, and far from sight.

They are each the approximate size of a modern-day kitchen tile, and depict everything from dogs to devils, and ‘green men’ poking their tongues out.

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Joseph Denby, the cathedral’s operations manager, said: “Every single boss is being checked by our team of specialist restorers.

“I think they’ve been quite surprised by the sheer variety of designs they’ve come across.”

The bosses are a mix of medieval carvings, made out of oak, in some cases wood that originally came from an earlier version of the building and has been reused; and ones that are made from soft wood and date from the 19th century. They are being checked for woodworm and any age-related damage.

Where the carvings have become loose, they are taken down, and the old rusty nails that fix them into place are replaced by stainless steel screws.

This is the first time the bosses have been inspected since the 1960s. Mr Denby added: “It’s hard to choose a favourite but I haqve a soft spot for Dog in a Bush as he reminds me of my own dog Sky.”