Richard Wilkes - Building Supervisor

Published : Mon 18th Dec

I started my masonry career with the Nation Trust in 2000. I was based at Hardwick as a Stonemason for a number of years before moving to run the Building Maintenance Team in the Peak District for 12 years, I then returned to Hardwick in 2020 where I now lead a team of Stonemasons.”

Tell us about your job

“As well as doing masonry repairs and other heritage work including small amounts of plastering and plaster ash floor repairs the team has now started travelling to other National Trust properties all over the Midlands and East of England region weather it is pointing with lime or paving.”

What contribution do you feel your work makes towards the resilience of the heritage sector?

“While we are undertaking this work within the team one of the main aims is to train our apprentices, giving them various skills to become Stonemasons. By investing time in developing them in the banker shop and out on site, they develop good all-round experience of the skills needed to help us restore and conserve our heritage which is essential to ensuring these skills exists for years to come."