Cathedral stonemasons in painstaking clocktower engraving work

Canterbury Cathedral stonemasons are continuing their fantastic and painstaking engraving work as part of our project to revamp the area around St George’s Clocktower.

The york stone paving has been repaired and relaid and the stonemasons have been doing their thing over the last week or two.

The engraving will show the shapes of:

• The original church founded in the 1100s
• The main remodelling in the 1400s, including the position of the south aisle and nave
• Pews seating introduced in the 1800s

These will be shown with different textures engraved into the york stone paving and some text engraved to show dates.

This is the latest element of this project to get underway.

The steps down into the clocktower have been removed and glass panels installed to close off the arches, creating The Clocktower Gallery, a small, internally-lit exhibition space inside the tower for a sculpture or artwork.

Exhibitions on show in this space will change regularly.

And on the Fenwick’s side, the pavement will be repaired and cleaned and three trees will be planted in line with the pillars of the Fenwick building to frame the windows.

Published: 7 May 2026