St Mary’s Church, Beverley- North and South elevations
Main Contractor And Sub Contractor Management / Masonry / Stone Carving / Lime Repairs / Consulting / Heritage Education / Clay Modelling / Complex Setting Out.
Delivered over two major phases, the conservation of St Mary’s Church, Beverley, combined extensive repair of the medieval fabric with an ambitious programme of new architectural carving. As Main Contractor, we coordinated a complex programme of conservation masonry, structural repairs, stained glass conservation, leadwork, lime repairs and architectural carving across multiple specialist trades.
Existing pinnacles showing extensive weathering and erosion.
Conservation Masonry
Working as Main Contractor, we managed the conservation of the north and south nave clerestories and transepts, coordinating specialist trades throughout the programme. Works included structural masonry repairs, replacement tracery, leadwork, stained glass conservation, lime repairs, shelter coating and careful cleaning, ensuring the project progressed as a single, integrated programme of conservation.
New stonework carefully lifted into place.
Checking the fit and accuracy of each stone.
Complex Masonry & Architectural Carving
The repair and renewal of the carved parapets, pinnacles, tracery and architectural details required detailed recording, complex setting out and the production of bespoke replacement masonry. New stones were carved by hand and carefully integrated with the historic fabric, combining traditional craftsmanship with technical precision.
New tracery carefully integrated with the historic, weathered masonry.
Newly carved pinnacles in their architectural setting.
North Transept – The Chronicles of Narnia
The North Phase introduced a unique series of label stops and grotesques inspired by The Chronicles of Narnia, developed in collaboration with the client and the C. S. Lewis Society. Each carving was individually researched, designed and carved before being fixed to the medieval fabric.
The completed carvings enrich the existing architecture with a new layer of storytelling.
The White Witch’s wolf, its gaze lifted towards her. The eagle heralds hope and renewal.
South Transept – Influential Women
The South Phase followed with a new series of carvings celebrating influential women. Each figure was individually researched and developed in close collaboration with the client, with careful consideration given to its architectural setting, neighbouring carvings and contribution to the wider composition before carving commenced.
Ada Lovelace, one of the bespoke figures carved for the South Transept sequence.
Rosalind Franklin carefully fixed into position. The finished carvings united as a single architectural composition.
Research, Design & Collaboration
Every new carving began long before a chisel touched the stone. Ideas were explored through research, discussion, drawings, clay modelling and casting, with regular consultation bringing together the client, architects, historians, craftspeople and wider community. This collaborative process ensured each carving was both architecturally appropriate and meaningful within the continuing story of St Mary’s Church.
Ideas took shape in clay before being translated into stone.
The plaster cast records the original clay model, while the finished stone carving reveals the depth and surface character of the final work.
Public exhibition formed an important part of the collaborative design process, as did collaboration- seen here and below with Emma Garness’s stunning imagery (making even the site hoarding a thing of beauty)
