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Inside the stairwell of the historic octagon tower, they were able to get a rare, up-close look at historic graffiti carved into the walls of the building over hundreds of years. The carvings, some of which are very elaborate and done with much care, go back up to 300 years. Inscriptions include “T.W 1757”, “WG 1758”, and even “J Mince Pie”. A number of names appear repeatedly, including “E Moobe, 1815” and “T.Boodle, March 1826.

One of the team working on the castle ruins is Phillip Windley, who, as well as being a gold heritage architectural stonemason and conservator, is also a qualified IRATA rope access technician and experienced rock climber and instructor.

“It’s a real privilege to work at magical, historic places like Sudeley Castle, and to read the building and see its hidden historical elements. I find it fascinating to see the old stonemasons’ marks from the men who originally built these buildings, and to see the now historical graffiti of those who left their names carved on the walls over hundreds of years.”

Stonemasons from City of Bath College are continuing to play a key role in the restoration of Woodchester Mansion – a stunning 19th century Victorian Gothic property.

The Medieval-style grotesque has been installed on the apex of the mansion.

The new carvings are ‘hunky punks’ – a term given to grotesque stone figures carved to ornament corners and break up straight sections of stonemasonry.

They were carved by stonemasonry students Sam Flintham and Phil Windley.

The original hunky punks have decayed over the years and have been removed from the building, to be replaced by new copies. The originals will be on display inside the mansion to avoid any further weather erosion.