A restoration project at St Margaret’s Church in Shetland has turned into an unexpected public showcase for architectural stonemasonry. Stonemason Philip Chatfield has been working at the church in recent weeks, adding traditional carved imagery, including depictions of women working in the fishing industry, while stone and window replacement work moves forward.
Visitors have been stopping to watch the carving process up close, including tourists and cruise ship passengers. Chatfield said people sometimes assume he is carving wood, then do a double take when they realize the material is stone.
For mason contractors, the interest is a reminder that the public notices craft when it is visible on the jobsite, especially on historic buildings. Stone carving also makes clear what crews already know, there is little room for error. Chatfield said mistakes can be costly because stone is not cheap, and once a cut is made, it is hard to undo.
Chatfield described stone carving as a “dying artform” that reaches back thousands of years. He said he values the handmade part of the work and the fact that the tools and methods have stayed simple, relying on a hammer and chisel instead of technology.
Raised in southwest Wales, he has worked on architectural stonemasonry and inscription jobs in places such as Somerset, Dorset, and Swansea. Much of his work involves sculpting religious figures for churches and chapels across Europe. He also carves for fun, including a piece he made for Lerwick Distillery.
As communities maintain older stone buildings, Chatfield said passing these skills to younger people matters. In his view, losing that knowledge would leave a real gap in what restoration teams can deliver.
Read the full, original article from Shetland Times here.