The craft of stonemasonry will never be a dying art; the skilled use of hand tools to create or repair masonry structures will always be essential and sits well with our modern construction industry. The traditional stonemason holds skills and knowledge that have produced the most spectacular and beautiful structures the world has ever known. This book introduces the world of the artist craftsman, from the basic essentials of selecting stone, developing tool skills and techniques, to producing set-work pieces of the highest quality to become part of the built heritage. AUTHOR: Chris Daniels is an advanced city & guilds stonemason and a professional accredited conservator. He has worked on a wide range of historic buildings, and has built his reputation on bringing artisan skills and an intelligent approach to the science and application of conservation. After joining the stonemasonry department at Weymouth College, Chris set up the Applied Architectural Stonework and Conservation Foundation (Science) degree course with Bournemouth University. Now a freelance architectural conservator, Chris lectures, provides training and writes on the skills and practice of heritage conservation. ILLUSTRATIONS: 313 colour photographs