Students from King’s Park School in Newhaven recently took part in an inspiring stone carving workshop delivered by Proud Places at Southwark Park in Bermondsey.
The session introduced pupils to the craft of stonemasonry and the story behind the park’s historic caryatids—sculpted stone figures originally from Rotherhithe Town Hall that now stand as symbols of local heritage and resilience.
Blending history, art, and design, the hands-on workshop allowed students to learn practical skills such as chiselling, shaping, and carving stone with master stone mason Joe.
He showed students techniques still used in modern conservation and construction. The activity encouraged teamwork, creativity, and precision while offering insight into heritage-related careers.
Inspired by the caryatids, students created their own sculptures from plaster of Paris and expressed interest in contributing to a living tradition.
