A BARNARD Castle stonemasonry firm has walked off with two highly commended accolades in a county environment awards scheme.
Glasper Tunstall Stonemasonry was second only to a restoration project at Durham Cathedral when they were recognised for their outstanding craftsmanship for conservation work on the Market Cross, in Barnard Castle, and a new build, in Low Etherley.
The County Durham Environment Awards are hosted by Durham County Council and recognise great design and craftsmanship.
Glasper Tunstall was started in 2003 by stonemasons Liam Glasper and Ashley Tunstall and in 2010 earned a National Stone Award from the Stone Federation of Great Britain for work they carried out on The Old Vicarage, in Barnard Castle. They were put forward for the craftsmanship award by Durham County Council for the work they carried out to repair and conserve the Market Cross on behalf of main contractor Lewis Surveying.
Mr Tunstall said: “The Market Cross was quite a high profile job.
“It was a very sympathetic repair and most people won’t see what has been done.
“We didn’t win, but you don’t mind being beaten by Durham Cathedral.”
They were also shortlisted for the craftsmanship award for work they are carried out for Glasper Lee Design on a new home in Low Etherley.
The house was built using sandstone from Dunhouse Quarry, which the stonemasons dressed on site, giving a tooled finish to match other dwellings in the village.
Mr Glasper said: “This is probably the first time this finish had been used for over 100 years. Although the property’s exterior was built using traditional materials and finishes, the interior was designed for modern day living, harnessing new technologies and the latest in thermal innovation giving it excellent eco credentials.”
