Back to Blogs
Discover
Meet The Stonemason Who Takes Care of the Abbey Ruins
A Q&A with Jonathan Presley, a freelance stonemason who has been commissioned by English Heritage to work on the Abbey remains that are under their care in the Abbey Gardens.
Firstly, for those readers that aren’t familiar with what a bricklayer/mason does, please can you explain a bit about what you do?
As a bricklayer/mason my work was mainly restoring churches working with flints, cut dressed stone and bricks. As I have mainly been involved with historic restoration and conservation of all types of buildings in my working life, I have gained and learned many skills and knowledge.
How did you get into being a bricklayer /mason?
By chance I started watching a programme about the restoration of a village church.
Working and restoring the flint and stonework of the church, after watching the programme which I found very interesting and thought no more of it. Just a few months later while looking to change my employment, I went to the local job centre and saw by chance a job being advertised by a local firm called Ellis Gregory & Sons of Shimpling who were looking to train a young person in the skills to restore historic churches working with flint and stonework. I applied for the job and was successful, and have carried on with historic restoration building and brickwork work ever since.
Do you have a preference as to the kind of stone that you work with?
Generally I am happy to work with all types of stone and flint but I do enjoy working with knapped flints creating flushwork panels especially on the churches I have worked on in the past.
What are the essential tools of your craft?
Most of my hand tools that I use are the same or similar to those used hundreds of years ago such as trowels, lump hammer and chisels, levels, scutch hammer, brick hammer and masonry saw. These are just a few of the main ones as well as power tools for cutting and drilling stone and masonry.
How do you go about looking after the abbey ruins? How do you do repairs to the ruins when they are hundreds of years old? Are there special materials?
Most of the repairs I carry out on the ruins consist of consolidation and pointing to the exiting flint core work. Firstly any loose areas of mortar are carefully raked back and pointed, and loose flints are consolidated or rebuilt back all using well gritted lime mortar with stippled brush finish I only carry out what is necessary to help conserve the ancient walls.
What's your personal favourite part of the ruins?
My favourite part of the ruin is the crypt where St Edmund's shrine would have been.
What stone is the abbey ruins made of?
Barnack stone was the main stone used for building the Abbey with flint rubble used to build the core work, sadly all that’s left of the Abbey is mostly the flint core work.
What is the best preserved part of the ruins.
The best preserved part must be the Abbey Gate, with some fine carved stone work still remaining, a magnificent medieval stone building.
You recently mended a large part of the boundary wall in Eastgate Street that collapsed when a tree fell on it, what has been the largest repair you have done on the Abbey Ruins?
The largest wall repair I have done is a section of precinct wall near the sensory garden where a large section collapsed and also a section of precinct wall by the river.
What items have you found hidden in the walls?
We understand a China doll was found and there is also a little skull near the Abbey Gate that everyone finds fascinating!
Sadly I have never found anything in the wall but maybe one day ...
Related Posts
Abbey of St Edmund 1000th Anniversary…
View More43 Facts About the Abbey of St Edmund
The Abbey of St Edmund was one of the most famous and…
View MoreEnjoy Free Online Talks on the Abbey of St…
A series of FREE, online talks, to mark 1000 years…
View MoreNew-Look Guides Reveal their Abbey Tours
Bury St Edmunds Tour Guides Offer Abbey-specific tours…
View MoreRelated Blogs
News
Tours Take Off for Masters of…
Tours developed by Bury St Edmunds Tour Guides and…
News
Vote for Bury St Edmunds Tour…
Vote now to Help Bury St Edmunds Tour Guides win the…
News
See Rendlesham Revealed at…
1,400-year-old Anglo-Saxon artefacts from National…
News
New afternoon tea at Lavenham…
Enjoy a Masters of the Air themed afternoon tea at The…
News
Itinerary: Masters of the Air
Follow in the footsteps of the Master of the Air
Latest news
News
Bury St Edmunds Celebrates English Tourism Week
Bury St Edmunds MP, Jo Churchill, met representatives from the town’s attractions and tour guides involved with the town’s Masters of the Air tourism campaign at Bury St Edmunds Guildhall.
News
Tours Take Off for Masters of The Air
Tours developed by Bury St Edmunds Tour Guides and Bury St Edmunds Guildhall to tie in with the Apple TV Series Masters of The Air so popular more dates are being added.
News
International illustrator David Hughes draws largest exhibition Bury St Edmunds
The largest ever exhibition is now underway at Moyse’s Hall Museum featuring the work of internationally acclaimed illustrator David Hughes.
News
A Taste of Bury St Edmunds and Suffolk
After visiting Suffolk's foodie capital, you'll want to take it with you - here are 5 foodie treats to take home!
News
Doctor Who Stars Coming to Bury St Edmunds to Star in Sherlock Holmes Classic
Who stars Colin Baker, Terry Molloy, and Rosie Baker will star in Hound of The Baskervilles at Bury St Edmunds Theatre Royal
News
Vote for Bury St Edmunds Tour Guides Now
Vote now to Help Bury St Edmunds Tour Guides win the VisitEngland’s Tourism Superstar 2024!
News
Cycle the Wolf Way
Winding its way around many of the best bridleways, byways, gravel tracks, cycle paths and quiet back roads, the Wolf Way takes in some of Suffolk’s most beautiful locations and hidden gems
News
See Rendlesham Revealed at West Stow
1,400-year-old Anglo-Saxon artefacts from National Trust’s Sutton Hoo, are now on display at West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village.
News
Dinosaurs are taking over the Cathedral!
Two special guests will be delighting children this half-term at St Edmundsbury Cathedral: a pair of dinosaurs!