You might remember James Wheeler as the winner of the carving competition at Gloucester Stone Festival last year with his ‘Drunken Sailer’ carving of a sailor standing in a rocking boat. It was included in the report of the Festival in the June issue of Natural Stone Specialist and was one of the highlights included in the review of 2013 in the December issue.

James has now sent us these pictures of a heraldic bull he was subsequently commission to carve as part of the repair of a gatepost at Sharpham Park in Somerset (near to where James is based in Castle Carey).

The original gatepost had been built in ironstone but had been knocked down by a reversing lorry. The lorry had been led along the inappropriate country road by its satellite navigation system. When the driver eventually realised the road was not suitable for an HGV, he tried to turn round in the entrance to Sharpham Park and demolished the 3m high gatepost.

That was at the end of last summer. James’s company, Architectural Stonework, was commissioned to rebuild the gatepost, which included carving a new heraldic bull to sit on top of it. He bought the matching stone he needed for the work from the Johnston Quarry Group at Great Tew. The gatepost was reinstated in time for Christmas.

“It was a nice way to end the year,” says James, who adds that he is available for more commissions like this.