Stone masons

As with all our medieval churches, the stone work of York Minster is fabulous inside and out, with ornate carved pillars, delicate window tracery and quirky gargoyles. It is built of magnesian limestone, quarried locally near Tadcaster as it has been for centuries. It gradually and inevitably deteriorates and the Minster has a dedicated team of 14 stone masons - from first year apprentices through to the Master Mason - working continuously to restore it. You can often see them at work in an open yard behind the cathedral, using methods, techniques and hand tools that have been passed down through generations. An apprenticeship lasts for four years, with the masons working on increasingly complex pieces. There is an interesting article about their work HERE. Each mason marks each piece with their own unique mason's mark; again this is something that has been done for centuries and marks have been found in the Minster dating back to 1154. The same masons' marks have been found in other churches too, suggesting that the craftsmen moved around from building to building for work. The masons told us that their work is expected to last at least 200 years. It must be very satisfying to be leaving that kind of legacy.