Last summer saw the start of an exciting new collaboration between Southwark Cathedral and students from all years of the Architectural Stone Carving diploma at the City and Guilds of London Art School.The south churchyard, adjacent to the famous Borough Market, became the site of a temporary masons’ lodge in the medieval tradition, providing shelter from the summer sun (and rain) for a team of student carvers and their tutors.
As part of the current restoration programme on the Quire, most of the gothic style bosses on the upper parapets needed to be replaced. Originally carved in the 1830s as part of an earlier restoration programme under the architect Gwilt , these were severely deteriorated and were starting to fall away from the parapet. This presented a great opportunity for students to experience working on a major church building, learning to carve in this distinctive and quintessentially English 13th century style of medieval foliage, known as Stiff-Leaf, and get paid!
The carvings were produced in teams of 4-6 students so that everyone could participate
Over an 8 week period in August and September, 44 new bosses were carved. The students returned to their studios for the start of the new academic year last October, and over the autumn period the old bosses were cut out of the building and replaced with the new . On 22nd and 23rd of January , the students returned to the scaffold to trim in the mouldings so that the bosses could be made to sit comfortably in the string course. In the Spring the scaffolding will finally be removed, and so we look forward with keen anticipation to reviewing the effect of the work from the ground. This is, after all, architectural carving, really only making sense when seen as part of the building as a whole. Watch this space – we will post some photos of the finished work when they are finally unveiled. Stand by also for news of the commission of 3 new corbel heads for which stonecarving students have produced competing designs for selection by the Dean and Chapter of the Cathedral
Working in the carvings after fixing. Masks are necessary as the carvings are made in sandstone, which is highly silicious
Tutor Paul Jakeman , who carved the models for the students to copy and develop
A completed Stiff-leaf boss. Its a favourite style amongst stone carvers
Hard at work in the Masons’Lodge