These pages in Natural Stone Specialist magazine are reproduced from The Craft of Stonemasonry (ISBN 978 1 84797 385 6), a book written by Chris Daniels, who is an Advanced City & Guilds Stonemason and Professionally Accredited Conservator. He learned his craft in England and Venice and has taught internationally, including at Weymouth College, where he set up and ran the Applied Architectural Stonework & Conservation Foundation (Science) Degree Course in conjunction with Bournemouth University and other leading figures of the heritage sector.

In 14 chapters, Chris has called on his craft and teaching experience to present in a highly accessible yet detailed way some of the practicalities of stoneworking and conservation, including setting out and mould-making, site practice and making ‘honest’ repairs, with step-by-step guides to squaring up, making a voussoir for an arch, producing a tracery quatrefoil, carving a sphere, repairing ashlar and (the chapter reproduced in the magazine) cutting incised letters.

The Craft of Stonemasonry is both a useful aide-memoire for stonemasonry students and a fascinating introduction to the craft of stonemasonry for those who want to know more about it in order, perhaps, to work with stonemasons. Many stonemasons will have a lot of sympathy with comments expressed in this book.

The Craft of Stonemasonry is published by Crowood Press in Marlborough, Wiltshire. It is normally £25, but is available at 20% discount (£20 plus £2.50 post & packaging) online at www.crowood.com. Or you can order it by phone on 01672 520320 at the same discount by quoting ‘NSS Offer’.

Because these pages are reproduced from a book, they will not be available on this website.