Four things we learned from stonemasonry apprentices on the Benefact Trust Scholars Programme
That’s why the Benefact Trust Scholars Programme was launched last summer.
A partnership with Cathedrals’ Workshop Fellowship (CWF), the scheme will fund 36 heritage students at 14 cathedrals.
On the CWF’s Foundation Certificate in Stonemasonry, apprentices learn both theory and practical skills. Those skills include both banker masonry (shaping the stones to a set design) and fixing masonry (securing stones on to buildings). The Foundation degree builds on that experience, offering deeper academic study and a broader understanding of the care, conservation and repair of historic buildings.
We recently met three of the CWF students – Lewis Evans, Zak Nutting and Lucy Newlyn – to learn more about their stonemasonry apprenticeships at Gloucester Cathedral. Here’s what we discovered.
1) Patience is a valuable skill for apprentice stonemasons – and their trainers
Stonemasonry is an ancient craft, developed by craftspeople over centuries. For the apprentices on the Benefact Trust Scholars Programme, developing advanced stonemasonry skills also takes time.
“The most valuable thing I’ve learned from my training is patience,” says Lucy, who has learned to pause and take a break if she needs to before returning to her work.
The apprentices are supported to understand that when you’re working by hand, mistakes are inevitable. “Seeing where you went a bit too hard into something with a chisel…that’s part of the building’s history,” Lucy explains.
Lewis says: “It’s very good to be able to make mistakes and not feel like it’s going to be detrimental to your job.”
Zak adds: “The team here is great, it’s such a welcoming environment. Any questions or queries, you can lean on them when you need to.”
2) Working in cathedral stonemasonry can be especially satisfying
Lewis enjoys being able to “follow each process through to make something you’re really proud of and to make something from a block”. He contrasts that with commercial work, where the stone “tends to be heavily profiled with saws, so you never feel like you’ve made anything completely because half the work has been done by machine”.
Zak adds: “With my previous roles, the job satisfaction wasn’t there for me. It got to a point where if I didn’t take that leap, I would probably regret it.”
3) The apprentices get a chance to work on more challenging projects
Apprentices learn from a blend of on-site instruction at cathedrals and historic sites with guided workplace learning. At Gloucester Cathedral, supported by senior craftspeople, the apprentices get the chance to stretch themselves.
Lewis says: “They don’t keep the good work for themselves, they’re very happy for you to do some of the more challenging pieces.”
4) Keeping traditional skills alive is a form of respect to earlier generations of craftspeople
Rising costs, climate change and shortages of skilled workers are just three of the pressures that heritage organisations are facing. The skills shortage is especially felt in heritage crafts such as stained glass and stonemasonry.
When it comes to the heritage skills gap, creating accessible pathways into training is part of the solution, as CWF Executive Director Michael Sheppard has explained.
For the Benefact Trust Scholars Programme apprentices, developing their craft can be about more than maintaining historic buildings. “Keeping traditional skills alive is a respect to crafts throughout the centuries,” says Zak.
Read more about heritage crafts
The future of heritage depends on people as much as buildings – Michael Sheppard, CWF
Podcast: the future of heritage crafts with Cathedrals' Workshop Fellowship