Mastercrafts

Under Monty Don's watchful eye, three hopefuls who are passionate about learning stonemasonry are put through their paces by the country's leading practitioners. It takes four to five years to train properly as a stonemason. During their six-week intensive course the rookies learn the foundations of the craft - everything from quarrying their own stone to intricate carving. Their mentor is Andy Oldfield, senior mason at Hardwick Hall with over 20 years of experience as a stonemason.