THE centuries-old architecture, statues and bygone bishops of Hereford Cathedral have proved to be an inspiration for the schoolchildren of today.

So much so that when two Chinese students from Hereford Cathedral School took their A-Level art portfolios to their university interviews they were offered places immediately.

Erica Zeng, who had never studied art before coming to the UK, was offered a place on every interior design course she applied for.

Her A-level portfolio called ‘Embroidered Illustration’ allowed her to use different techniques to produce her Cathedral-inspired artwork, including watercolour painting, fine line drawing, batik, screen-printing, CAD-drawings and embroidery stitch-work.

She also made use of the school’s new laser-cutting machine to produce her Cathedral-inspired designs.

She said: "I had looked at a few English schools but in China, Hereford Cathedral School is famous. It’s not a boarding school but it’s a really good traditional English school and that’s what I liked about Hereford.

"In the first year I hadn’t even used a sewing machine before but then I saw how the other students were using them, and making silk paper and batik drawings, and I wanted to know how.”

Erica has opted for Edinburgh over London because of its similarities to Hereford and is setting her heart on a career in interior design for apartments and for fashion show stages.

Another art A-level student, Christina Lin from Hang Zai, Shanghai, was offered the choice of two courses while still sitting in her London College of Fashion interview.

She has already accepted an unconditional offer on the ‘Fashion Design Technology: Womenswear’ course at the London College of Fashion, which she will start later this year.

Christina produced her Cathedral-inspired 1920s dress with a water soluble fabric using a technique called devoré with additional embroidery and silver printwork.

Younger pupils from Hereford Cathedral School have also been inspired by the Cathedral, creating a ‘poetry map’ of 28 poems inspired by different areas around Hereford Cathedral.