A VILLAGER was keen to highlight local heritage after an ancient oak tree fell down, arranging for life-size figures of stone masons to be carved from the wood.

The 300-year-old tree fell down in a storm in December 2024 after being a fixture for generations in the Wye Valley village.

Rather than see it forgotten, Jill Bourchier reached out to local wood carver Clayton Ryder, who has been working tirelessly on the felled oak to bring new creations to life.

The sculptures are being named after three men – Myles, Trevor and Matt – who cut the tree into logs so that Clayton could begin his project, with two carvings now finished and one more to go.

The attention to detail is amazing, even down to the ears, clothing, hair strokes and accessories, all carved into the wood.

Industrial Archeology, Volume 8 by John Butt says quartz conglomerate or puddingstone was quarried in the Penallt area, and the stone used to make millstones from at least the 14th century until the late 1800s, when the industry declined alongside the arrival of the railways.

Used for grinding grain and making cider, the millstones were rolled down to the riverside and transported by flat-bottomed trows.

Unfinished ones can still be found lying in nearby woodlands, where they are a feature of local walks.

Jill says: “I wanted the carvings to represent the workmen of those days. I just find it so exciting, I love the way they are coming to life like this. It’s wonderful, absolutely wonderful.”

After working over the past few weekends, Clayton’s project is nearing completion, with the detailing of the designs carefully hand crafted and creating a warm sense of history.

You can also take a walk back in time to the days of the millstone makers by following a Wye Valley Landscape walk called ‘Puddingstone and Pubs” featured on their website https://www.wyevalley-nl.org.uk