At the end of last year, on a chilly day in Canterbury, Coniston played joint hosts to a group of skilled craftspeople visiting from Germany, for a very special site visit.
The day was part of a trade delegation of German skilled craftsmen and women, organised via the Düsseldorf Chamber of Skilled Crafts and Europartnerships, who Coniston have been working closely with to initiate a unique new apprentice exchange programme.
The event was held at the iconic Canterbury Cathedral in Kent, where we are currently working on the 5-year conservation programme, ‘The Canterbury Journey’*. This was the perfect setting for our German visitors to witness the ongoing works being carried out by highly skilled craft trades on this unique ancient monument and Unesco World Heritage Property.
As well as speaking to the Cathedral’s in-house stonemasons (including some fortuitous translation by a very enthusiastic young German intern) and our own on-site heritage carpentry team, the guests were also able to understand the restoration works being carried out by the specialist stained glass department, as well as sharing knowledge of their own experiences in Germany.
The opportunity to share industry knowledge and skills with our overseas peers is providing a fantastic platform for continuous improvement to best practice, as well as for making new friends and expanding our network across Europe.
“Many thanks for explaining the restoration works in detail to our German companies. This very special Canterbury Cathedral tour has been an amazing experience for us.”
Petra Riemenschneider, Project Manager – EUROPARTNERSHIPS
* https://www.canterbury-cathedral.org/learning/heritage-lottery-funding-the-canterbury-journey/