It’s quite the career switch.
James Hulme, 34, was a lorry driver. But he has swapped his HGV cab for a castle as part of a new ‘heritage heroes’ scheme.
James is one of seven trainees from York to join Historic England’s first intensive summer school aimed at boosting endangered traditional craft skills.
He has become a castle carpenter – learning joinery while working at Castle Howard.
James said: “The job had a ‘wow’ factor to it. To say you work as a carpenter at a castle sounds amazing.
“It’s a pleasure to work at Castle Howard – I’ve helped take up the 200-year old floorboards which was pretty awesome.”
Staged by Historic England and funded by the Hamish Ogston Foundation, the intensive course is designed to tackle the critical shortage in essential skills needed to rescue precious historic buildings across the country.
Other York trainees include Abigail Colling, aged 22, who has left a career as a digital producer to train as a specialist decorator at Hesp and Jones in York.
“I want to develop a specialist trade that will help me work with beautiful heritage rich places forever,” she said.
“Working at Hesp Jones & Co has been exactly what I needed! My favourite work experience so far has been working on the gold gilding in the private wing of Castle Howard and upholstering the walls of a bedroom at Broughton Hall.”
Christopher Stevenson, 25, has a criminology degree and worked in London, but rekindled his love of craft after returning to his home city of York during the lockdown.
He’s now a stained-glass conservator and restoration trainee, working with the Barley Studios in Dunnington.
“I applied for this apprenticeship as it hit all the criteria I was looking for in a new career, working with my hands, learning skills which may be lost if not passed on, maintaining important community spaces, and being part of living history,” he said.
“My ambition is to get a job in stained glass conservation and restoration. So far, I have enjoyed working on Selby Abbey, which I know from growing up in the local area.
“It makes me feel proud to be part of the long list of craftspeople who have worked on and maintained such an important site.”
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In total 19 trainees – from York and across Yorkshire, the North East and North West – are enrolled on The Hamish Ogston Foundation Heritage Building Skills Programme, an in-work heritage skills and apprenticeship scheme launched last year with Historic England.
The summer school will enable them to kick-start skills in carpentry, bricklaying and joinery, painting and decorating, plastering, roofing and stonemasonry, working alongside experts from Historic England.