St Paul's trains new craftsmen to save historic buildings
The name Christopher Kempster may not be widely known, but nearly everyone in Britain will have seen his work.
The craftsman, who trained with and became a close associate of Sir Christopher Wren, was the master stonemason at St Paul's. So vital was he to its building that, in records from the 1690s, his occupation was listed simply as 'St Paul's Cathedral'.
Now the hunt is on for young people to follow in his footsteps. The cathedral is setting up a new centre for apprentices, warning that Britain's most important buildings are on the 'cliff edge' of losing vital skills to repair them.
The Wren Centre of Excellence, launched to coincide with the 350th anniversary of the foundation of Wren's St Paul's Cathedral and named in honour of its architect, will train young people in carpentry, stonemasonry and heritage building skills.
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