The ferocious faces of eight gargoyles are returning to the roof of Canterbury Cathedral for the first time in more than a century.

The newly-carved creatures, designed and hand-crafted by Cathedral stonemasons Steve Manuel and Ian Gartside, are being installed as part of an ongoing restoration project.

Steve said: “Our brief was to use the lion bosses on the Nave ceiling as a starting point and then we could have a bit of ‘artistic licence’ with the designs to give them a twist and use our creative skills.

“I’ve made much smaller things featuring lions but nothing of this size so it’s good to have something you can get your teeth into.

“We designed each gargoyle in clay first so they can be reviewed by the Cathedral’s planning bodies for approval before we cast them in plaster and then carve them from a single block of Caen stone. The whole process can take up to two months for each one so it’s great to see them finally going up.”

The first of the gargoyles was put in place by stonemason Neil Bishop today.

Usually depicting heads of animals, mythical beasts and people, gargoyles are intricately carved drain openings that direct water away from the building.

Project director Mark Hosea said: “The gargoyles are fantastic examples of the stonemason’s expertise and skill and have inspired other members of the public to create their own gargoyles at our community events. We can’t wait to see new beautifully carved gargoyles on the building once again.”