12/09/2026
Canterbury Cathedral’s Stonemasons Bring Native Species to Life in Stone!
In the summer of 2025, four remarkable new creatures were carved into the fabric of this UNESCO World Heritage Site: a beaver, peregrine falcon, red-billed chough and pine marten. Hidden behind scaffolding high above the city, they were finally revealed in April 2026.
Created by the Cathedral’s talented stonemasons using centuries-old techniques, these extraordinary new grotesques celebrate species with deep connections to Kent’s past, present and, we hope, its future.
Beavers have returned to the county’s waterways, peregrines now live at the Cathedral itself, and choughs are once again flying over Kent after an absence of more than 200 years. Pine martens remain missing from the county, but , and partners are working to explore the possibility as part of the South East Pine Marten Restoration Project, led by Wildwood Trust and , with , and , and supported by .kent.
Our new film takes you behind the scenes, through ideation and to final installation. It also explores the real conservation work helping to restore native wildlife beyond the Cathedral walls.
Set in stone, these four animals are powerful reminders of what has been lost, what has returned and what could still be possible.
Watch the full film and discover the wildlife watching over Canterbury Cathedral!
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