Heather Newton, Head of Conservation at Canterbury Cathedral since 2013, is moving to the City & Guilds of London Art School to succeed Tim Crawley as the Head of Historic Carving. Tim is retiring. Heather will take up the post at the beginning of September, welcoming students at the start of the new academic year.

Like many Cathedrals, in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic Canterbury is preparing to reduce the number of people it employs directly on the maintenance of the fabric, including some of the 28 people it has in its stonemasonry team. Heather is taking voluntary redudency.

Before being promoted to Head of Conservation with oversight of all conservation-related matters at the Cathedral, Heather was Canterbury's Head of Stonemasonry & Conservation from 2006.

Commenting on her new role at the City & Guilds of London Art School, which has a reputation as a pinnacle of historical carving education and practice, Heather says: “I feel both delighted and privileged to be taking up the post of Head of Historic Carving at the City & Guilds of London Art School. I hope that the years of experience working at Canterbury Cathedral will have prepared me to both lead and support my new colleagues and our students, and am excited at the prospect of embarking on another phase of my career in such an esteemed institution.

"I will be more admin than hands-on, as tutors there are excellent, and my role will be one of support and leadership. I think my strength lies in recognising and encouraging other people's talent and skill, so it couldn't be a better place for me to be."

Heather trained in fine art, stonemasonry and conservation, achieving an MSc in Buildings Conservation Technology & Management from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh.

At Canterbury Cathedral, she managed some of the Cathedral's most recent and high-profile major projects, such as the renovation of the Great South Window, and has had a leading role in ‘The Canterbury Journey’, a major five-year development to conserve and safeguard the Cathedral’s heritage and enrich the visitor experience, including extensive restoration of the West Towers, the Nave roof and Christ Church Gate.