40 Years of Heritage Craftsmanship

We are delighted to announce that our colleague Toby Moore, is celebrating his 40th year at Stonewest. This incredible milestone reflects his dedication to the business, as well as the strength of the long-standing relationships he has built throughout the industry.

Since joining Stonewest as a labourer in April 1986, then becoming an apprentice stonemason, Toby has progressed through the business from site manager to his present position of Associate Director, whilst leading the Special Works and Southern Region divisions, with the same hands-on approach and passion that have defined his career from day one.

Widely respected by colleagues, clients and industry partners alike, Toby has become known for his diligence, reliability and deep knowledge of heritage masonry. His reputation has helped secure significant repeat business, with many local authorities viewing Stonewest as the trusted “go to” team for specialist heritage work.

Beyond project delivery, Toby has always been passionate about supporting and mentoring others, passing on essential craft and management skills to the next generations and helping shape future careers within the industry. His journey embodies Stonewest’s ethos — one built on pride, sustainability, relationships and a shared commitment to delivering excellence.

Toby’s work history includes projects across the Parliamentary Estate, Westminster Abbey, Windsor Castle, Corfe Castle conservation, the Southsea Coastal Scheme including Southsea Castle, The Royal Parks, Buckingham Palace, St James Palace, Admiralty Arch, Wellington Arch, Sandhurst Military Academy, Fort Monkton, Royal Naval Hospital Haslar, Bournemouth & Poole College, Allington Castle, St Pancras International, as well as preserving numerous historic memorials and monuments. Working alongside John Ashurst, he also helped to build the original ‘Ruinette’ at West Dean College, developed as a learning tool for best practice in teaching conservation of masonry ruins.

On behalf of the Stonewest team, thank you Toby for your unwavering dedication, loyalty and support over the years.

We spoke to Toby to gain some insight into his long and successful career so far:

What does being part of this industry mean to you?

There’s an enormous sense of pride and satisfaction in the work we do and after 40 years at Stonewest I still look forward to coming to work every day. I’ve been incredibly fortunate to work alongside and meet some truly inspiring people throughout my career.

Which projects or achievements are you most proud of?

Buckingham Palace by a country mile. The then Prince Charles used to walk the site most Friday mornings, and we became familiar as he was clearly very interested in what we were doing and the traditional heritage trades at work. Initially it felt rather strange being so close to royalty and having conversations, but after a few weeks it became the norm.

Prince Philip was an honour to speak to, I’ll treasure our conversation forever. Meeting The Queen in person at the completion event at Buckingham Palace was a huge honour and then being invited to The Queen’s 80th birthday celebrations at Kew Gardens in 2006 was beyond belief. Later, installing the Palace of Westminster’s gift to The Queen recognising 75 years as our monarch was another standout moment.

Being involved with Her Majesty’s lying in state and meeting King Charles again was a very emotional and humbling experience.

Working alongside the military over the years has also been incredibly rewarding, their dedication, loyalty and professionalism are second to none.

What advice or legacy would you like to pass on to the next generation?

I was very fortunate to be given an opportunity as a 15-year-old lad during school summer holidays and I never looked back. If you enjoy your work, it doesn’t feel like you’ve worked a day – try to find a career you enjoy, not endure.

The stonemason who taught me during my apprenticeship always encouraged us to learn about the buildings and projects we were working on – who commissioned them, how long they took to build, the history behind them. It was always fascinating and it stayed with me to this day.

One project that has always stayed with me was Tate Britain, formerly London’s first national prison, Millbank Penitentiary. Discovering the history behind the building, including the old tunnel (which is still there) to the Thames once used to transport prisoners, was fascinating and a reminder of how much history is woven into the buildings we work on.

Every project teaches you something new and even after 40 years, every day is still a school day.