The introduction of advanced digital surveying methods, notably laser scanning and photogrammetry, has revolutionized the documentation of architecture, especially for features that were previously difficult to survey without scaffolding. Medieval vaulted ceilings, often high up in church and cathedral interiors, are an example of such a scenario, and for the last ten years the Tracing the Past research team at the University of Liverpool have been investigating these fascinating architectural features across England to better understand their design and construction. Although all are in sites of known significance not generally considered ‘at risk’, devastating fires at York Minster in 1984 and Notre-Dame in Paris in 2019, as well as earthquakes in Italy in 1997 and 2012, have resulted in the loss of significant vaults in recent decades. This study highlights several methods, demonstrating how they have been used to enhance knowledge of vault design by visualizing them orthographically as laser scan outputs, understanding their underlying geometric principles using 2D vector and 3D wireframe drawings as well as generative design software, and interrogating hard to read medieval plastered surfaces using photogrammetry and reflectance transformation imaging. It also discusses the importance of the digital records in terms of dissemination and archiving.