About Heather

Being a stonemason is a highly skilled job. It's a great responsibility too: you're continuing a tradition that dates back to the Middle Ages. And that's what makes my job so special. Creating new stonework and restoring buildings exactly as our medieval colleagues made them in the first place. In that way we're guardians of the Cathedral and Kent as a whole, caring and preserving the rich history of a World Heritage site.

I head up a team of 18 full-time stonemasons - and, if you know any of them, you'll realise they really are a unique bunch of characters! Being a woman in this job is a bit unusual admittedly, but there's no problem with respect: I've been doing this long enough, I'm passionate about it and people understand that right away. Passing that knowledge down is not just about enthusiasm though it's absolutely vital for the survival of our craft and, ultimately, the cathedral itself. To secure the future of the building, we're always taking on apprentices so we've always got young people coming through who will carry on the long tradition of stonemasonry and other conservation skills.

That's what we're about - a great love, passion and a unique skill. So if you come around and find some unusual characters, whether it's beards or dreadlocks, just remember that they're here working for the future of one of the world's most important Cathedrals. When we're long gone, we know our work, just as the work of colleagues stretching back more than a thousand years, will live on. And do I get a kick out of that? What do you think?

Visit the Canterbury Stonemasons at Canterbury Cathedral - www.canterbury-cathedral.org