STUDENTS from Gloucester College and Young Gloucestershire will be trained in traditional stone working before carrying out repairs at Gloucester’s medieval St Mary de Crypt Church.

Gloucester City Council and the Heritage Lottery Fund have funded a unique project, set up through the Southgate Street Townscape Heritage Initiative.

Young students from Gloucester College and Young Gloucestershire are being trained in traditional stone working skills and will spend three weeks working part time at St Mary de Crypt Church in the centre of Gloucester, repairing the boundary wall to the churchyard.

Cllr Jim Porter, Cabinet member for environment, said: “This is an exciting opportunity for young people to learn a traditional skill and the repairs to the churchyard walls will also really help to improve the appearance of the area.”

Students have already gained experience at Woodchester Mansion (Trust), a centre for ‘live site’ training to understand what is required when working on heritage sites. They also had a chance to practise the basics of stone cutting, fixing and pointing with lime mortar with the mansion’s skilled and experienced resident stone mason Jonny Anderson.

Jonny, who is also the Training Director for the Mansion, has worked on some iconic buildings, including King's College Cambridge, Trinity College Great Gate and is also experienced in training young people in the skills of the trade, having worked with The Prince's Foundation and The Prince's Trust.

He said: “This project provides a wonderful opportunity for the young people to immerse themselves in everything stone. They will gain practical experience at two historic sites and this will give them a good foundation in traditional stone working skills should they go on to work in heritage in the future.”

The THI funds improvements to the street scene as part of a wider programme of built heritage restoration and community engagement. The repairs to the churchyard walls are a project being undertaken by the city council to improve the appearance of the area.

Rev Canon Nikki Arthy, Rector at St Mary de Crypt, said: “We’re delighted to welcome students to St Mary de Crypt for this exciting project, It’s good to be working in partnership with the THI, seeing new skills acquired by young people as our heritage is restored.”