The Durham City Apprenticeship Awards took place earlier in summer on June 30th, however a prior commitment training as a deckhand with the Tall Ships Youth Trust unfortunately meant that Jed had to miss the ceremony which took place in Durham Town Hall.
To ensure Jed's fantastic achievement was marked with occasion, Canon Michael Everitt held a morning of celebration inviting members of the Durham Freemen and Durham Cathedral Stonemasons team to his home for refreshments and for Jed to be presented with his award.
The awards are a newly forged partnership, embracing the city’s Freemen, New College Durham, Durham University and Durham Cathedral, the first ceremony celebrated thirteen young men and women, judged “best in class,” across a range of trade skills. Jedd Williams won the apprentice award in the category for Stonemasonry and he received a framed certificate, an engraved crystal trophy and a £50 Amazon voucher.
During their visit to the cathedral, the Durham Freemen were then give a tour of the cathedral's Works Yard, learning about the traditional methods and historical stonemasons marks that can be spotted throughout the cathedral from centuries of stonemasons. The morning then continued with a high level tour, viewing the cathedral from the RAF window which provides a unique view looking straight down the Nave of the Cathedral.
Commenting on the celebration Canon Michael Everitt said,
'As a trustee of the Durham Freemen and a member of the Cathedral chapter it was a joy to bring both areas of my ministry together in celebration of all our staff at the cathedral, especially the apprentices. Congratulations to Jed for his excellent achievement.'
Jed has been an apprentice stonemason since joining Durham Cathedral in November 2021, he was nominated by fellow Stonemason Steve Mann for his work on restoring the 17th century Monks Garden Wall.
Commenting on his time as an apprentice, Jedd said,
Quote from Jed Williams, Apprentice Stonemason
‘I really enjoy the variety of work and unique experiences working at Durham Cathedral provides. Learning on the job has enabled me to produce work of a high standard in short time frames. I am very proud of the arch stones I produced for the Monks Garden Wall. They are the most complicated pieces I have produced for the cathedral.’
Jed Williams
Apprentice Stonemason
We are very honored that here at Durham Cathedral, we only one of a few cathedrals in the country that has an onsite team of stonemasons. This enables heritage skills in craftsmen and women to be developed and passed on to future generations. The efforts of the stonemason team are to maintain and preserve the 900 year-old structure and UNESCO World Heritage site, ensuring that it can be enjoyed by everyone for years to come.
