Symm, the Oxford based builder that incorporates the specialist stone division, Axtell Perry Symm, celebrates its 200^th anniversary this year and a visit on 8 July from HRH Prince Andrew, The Duke of York, marked the occasion.

Aidan Mortimer, the Symm Group Chief Executive, told the Duke about the group, which last year carried out £37million-worth of work, then Production Manager Dean Fitzgerald and Project Manager Steve Byrne accompanied HRH on a tour of the masonry workshops, explaining the processes involved, including the making of a cantilevered staircase in Portland limestone currently in production.

The Duke saw the company’s CNC machinery and concluded his visit with the banker masons, admiring their hand-worked stonemasonry and finishing. HRH is an enthusiastic supporter of the passing on of skills such as stonemasonry to the next generation and spoke encouragingly to the young people he met.

Aidan Mortimer said on the Symm blog afterwards: “The Symm story is a remarkably circular one; craftsmanship and apprentice training still lie at the heart of the business with 31 young people currently in training and, exactly 200 years on, our most significant current commission is again building a new chapel in the classical style on an estate just outside Henley.

He said: “[The Duke] spent much of his time with the company’s apprentices talking about their individual chosen trades of stonemasonry, carpentry and decorating and the importance of retaining and developing craft skills today.

“His Royal Highness was passionate in his support of those who provide apprenticeships and opportunities for young people to develop their skills. His visit gave everyone working in the business huge encouragement, reaffirming that investing in our young people is investing in their and the company’s future success.”

Before leaving, The Duke unveiled a stone plaque recording his visit.