Castle restoration revives skills

Durham Castle is a World Heritage Site

Ancient skills are being revived in a project to restore one of the north-east of England's best-known landmarks.

The Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded £49,000 to allow Durham Castle to train two stone-masonry apprentices.

The 900-year-old castle needs stone masons to help maintain its roof, but experts fear skills are dying out.

The castle, which is a World Heritage Site, is undergoing restoration as part of a mammoth £7m project by owners Durham University.

It is hoped the project will help reverse the decline in the numbers of stone masons and prevent ancient skills becoming lost.

Keith Bartlett, regional manager for the Heritage Lottery Fund in the North East, said: "The heritage sector is in urgent need of more people who possess specific conservation skills.

Traditional skills

"By creating these positions in Durham we hope young people will have access to an interesting career option they may not have considered before."

Recruitment for the two positions is already under way and the university expects the new apprentices will be ready to start their training later this month.

There are more than 450,000 listed buildings in the UK, but fewer than 40,000 craftsmen with the necessary traditional skills to maintain them.

William the Conqueror ordered the castle's construction in 1072.

It was a home and seat of administration for the former Prince Bishops of Durham until 1837, when it was provided as accommodation for the University, then only five years old.

It is the oldest building in the UK used for student accommodation, with 105 of the college's current students living there.