Gidlow Stone

20/10/2026

KEEPING HISTORY ALIVE 🔨✨

Just finished hand-cutting and gilding the final inscription on this beautiful family headstone.

My goal was to ensure a seamless, perfect match with the original hand-carved lettering from decades ago (Emma, Betty & John's name were engraved by a different stone mason)- a finish that machine sandblasting simply cannot replicate. 🏛️

See my previous posts on 24th August & 13th September for the videos of engraving and gilding of this memorial.

18/10/2026

Such a beautiful tribute to little Reuben 💙. We're honoured to have been able to make this special headstone possible and to support the wonderful work of Poppy Kay’s Wish

12/10/2026

Part 4

All done. At Gidlow Stone we try our best to match up the same style lettering as we add further additional names. This is a memorial which is all hand-carved, Graham was added by another mason when new, I added Betty to match up the best I can, nearly 20 years later. I completed my work in situ at the Churchyard.

Memorial masons generally have their own style and artistic licence so it's always an extra challenge when following on.

Client was very happy with the finished job

02/10/2026

Part 3

This is called roughing in the letters - using a chisel with broader shoulders to break the surface.

I then go over the letters and touch up with a sharp chisel for a nice finish.

27/09/2026

Part 2

I'm using a wax pencil to write the new inscription onto the memorial. This requires a lot of artistic skill and patience as sometimes it takes a few attempts to get the characters, spacing and line length near perfect. When I've marked on a line of wording correctly at the first attempt, it always gives a joy of satisfaction!

I didn't do the first inscription so I have to try and match up somebody else's style. As I'm drawing the letters, I'm constantly looking to see how the previous mason has used artistic license to change characters, which I have to try and replicate

Without a doubt, it's always best to make a good job of setting out but when you get to a decent standard of carving, small adjustments can be made as I'm chiseling along the line.

24/09/2026

Part 1.

I took advantage of the gorgeous weather today by going to a Churchyard to engrave an additional name to a headstone already in situ

On this video I'm using a piece of paper to mark the existing character height that I need to replicate for the new inscription. This allows me to easily copy the height without using a tape measure

16/09/2026

I've just had a quick count up, between my Preston & Wigan locations, I have over 100 bespoke headstones, all in wonderful shapes and sizes that are a bit different to the basic Black.

If you order before the end of September, I can guarantee a Christmas completion but you need to be quick.

In addition, I also have plenty of various colour standard headstones, cremation stones and tablets in stock, we cater for all budgets.

The picture below is just a little teaser of a fantastic bespoke memorial we have available. We are animal lovers at Gidlow Stone and should you wish to see the completed memorial, you'll have to call in the showroom, we have 40 on display

It's always best to give us a call beforehand to avoid clashing with a pre-booked appointment

01257 424303
[email protected]

13/09/2026

13/09/2026

Gold Leaf gilding!

We like using proper Gold Leaf at Gidlow Stone, it gives a far superior finish than any imitation paint.

In the video, I'm applying the 23.5ct Gold on to the size (paint/varnish/glue) letters by using a small paint brush that easily scoops the Gold leaf from the book. I like to use this method so it lays in the engraved lettering without splitting the Gold.

To all those DIY'ers, this is one job you need to leave to the professionals, you could easily spend £60 on the Gold leaf and it ends up a poor finished job.
This job is definitely not for a windy day.

06/09/2026

We don't just do headstones at Gidlow Stone, we do jewellery, ceramic roses and now our latest product, 3D models.

This is a picture of me (a face only a mother can love), taken while on holiday and this is the finished model. The picture has really come to life. The end result depends on the quality of the picture and helps if there are side and back views of the subject too.

We can use images of loved ones, pets and other meaningful objects to create a 3d model. Pop in the office and see for yourself how realistic these models really are.

Email: [email protected]
Phone: 01257 424303