Westminster Abbey Joins the Cathedrals’ Workshop Fellowship

The Cathedrals’ Workshop Fellowship [CWF], a collaboration of cathedrals in the UK working to protect historic religious buildings and preserve heritage skills, supported by funding from the Hamish Ogston Foundation, has just welcomed its newest member to the partnership: Westminster Abbey. 

Founded in 2005, the group of 11 Anglican cathedrals which form the CWF are working collaboratively to create the next generation of craftsmen and women capable of caring for our cathedrals and historic buildings, so they can meet the demands of the 21st century. 

Supported by a £3.5million pledge from the Hamish Ogston Foundation, this initiative is training the stonemasons, carpenters, joiners, plumbers and electricians needed to meet each of the partner 11 cathedrals’ maintenance and repair needs. The partnership’s approach to tuition provides apprentices with access to experts from all the members’ cathedrals, drawing on the expertise of each institution’s master craftspeople. This allows apprentices to benefit from the expertise of a variety of practitioners and gain an in-depth understanding of historic building conservation.

The ‘Covid Cohort’ graduates of the Cathedrals’ Workshop Fellowship at their long-delayed graduation in March 2022 [Source: Cathedrals’ Workshop Fellowship]

Westminster Abbey joins as the 11th member of the CWF; a member of their Clerk of the Works team will join the next cohort on the CWF Foundation degree course as a student. This student will gain vital knowledge surrounding the care and conservation of our historic buildings, under the guidance of leading industry experts.

Westminster Abbey is one of the most famous religious buildings in the world and has served an important role in British political, social and cultural life for more than 1,000 years. Most recently, it played host to the late Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral

Commenting on the announcement, Paul Baumann, Receiver General, said: “At the Abbey we have long been committed to sustaining the highest standards of craftmanship in maintaining and developing our unique buildings.

“By joining the Cathedrals’ Workshop Fellowship, we are linking to a number of the country’s most significant Cathedrals, who share our belief in the importance of developing and maintaining these essential skills. We look forward to a fruitful partnership and to playing our part in nurturing crafts which are part of our shared inheritance and key to our future.” 

Frances Cambrook, Executive Director of the CWF, said: “We have had an informal association with Westminster Abbey for many years and we are delighted that they have now joined us formally to become our eleventh member.  

“We look forward to welcoming their first student to our Foundation degree course next year and supporting him to develop his craft skills and conservation expertise for the benefit of this magnificent abbey church.”

Visit https://www.hamishogstonfoundation.org/heritage  for more information on our heritage initiatives