Newark Advertiser speaks with stone masons working on Newark Parish Church’s ‘Reawakening of St Mary Magdelene’ heritage restoration project

Stone masons are now hard at work securing the future of one of Newark’s most historic landmarks for future generations to enjoy.

The year-long 'Reawakening of St Mary Magdelene' project is now well underway after scaffolding was erected around Newark Parish Church at the end of 2024.

The £4m project will see major restoration works take place at the Grade One listed building, in order to remove it from Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register.

A major part of the restoration work involves the repair of stone work which has been weathered by centuries of exposure to the elements.

The team of experienced stone masons are currently on site, and the Advertiser went down to find out a little about the work they are doing on the building, which has roots dating back to the 12th century.

Dean Bush, a stone mason of 39 years, is just one of those working on the Reawakening project and has worked on some of the UK’s most stunning landmarks including Westminster Abbey, Hampton Court Palace, and Chatsworth House.

“An initial assessment of what needed to be done was taken from the ground before any of the work started,” said Dean

“However, it’s not until the scaffolding is up and you are face to face with it that you find out just how much work there actually is.

“But, It’s great work — these days a lot of it can be done away from site using grinders, but it still needs that human touch.”

The masons are using a top down method, whereby they will complete work on the church roof before moving down the building, removing scaffolding as they go.

Currently the masons are focused on the damaged stone coping on the roof of the nave, with blocks removed while replacements are cut and repairs are made.

One of the most frequent causes of damage comes from rusted cast iron pins used to hold blocks in place.

Over the years, these pins have rusted and expanded, causing stones to split, something Dean says accounts for around 80% of all work that masons are called to.

These iron pins are now being replaced with stronger, rust resistant steel alternatives, before the stone is dressed and blocks replaced.

In total, around 70 of the coping block will need repairing or replacing in some way, with as many of the originals kept as possible.

While most of the stone blocks can be cut with machinery away from site and hoisted onto the scaffolding later, some of the more detailed pieces such as gargoyles and grotesques will be touched up in place using more traditional methods such as a hammer and chisel.

These more time consuming repairs will be made after the most urgent repairs are completed.

Weathered cornicing around Newark Parish Church's many stained glass windows and ledges will also be touched up and repaired wherever possible.

The south side of the church is showing more signs of deterioration than the north side, and so will require more work.

Dean said it was “pot luck” that he ended up working as a stone mason after responding to a work advert when he was younger and has been doing it ever since.

Standing on the roof of the church overlooking Newark, he added: “I could never work in an office, you’d miss out on all of this.”

Site manager, Lee Pass, explained that they are committed to using traditional crafts combined with modern day techniques, with the aim of securing the building for future generations to enjoy.

Alongside repairs to the stonework, the church’s lead roof is being replaced with a hard wearing steel alternative, solar panels will also be placed on the roof.

Inside the building ground work is in progress to update the heating system, and an air source heat pump will be installed.

As part of a plan to boost the visitor appeal of the church, information boards will also be installed, as well as a cafe space, accessible toilet, and an acoustically separate room where community group meetings and activities can be held.

The team of stone masons are also responsible for ongoing works at Lincoln Cathedral.