Marc West takes up mallet and chisel and tries his hand at the ancient art of stonemasonry

Ever get the feeling you’re being watched?

I doubt there’s a corner of our city that’s not covered by CCTV these days. However, centuries before Big Brother, there were still hundreds of beady eyes peering down from above. If you cast your face to the heavens as you pass any college you can’t help but notice the rogues gallery of gruesome gargoyles and grotesques adorning their buildings.

But, have you ever seen the lesser-spotted Green Man about town? The folklore figure is more prevalent in our consciousness than you might think. Legend has it that on one cold winter’s evening, as Inkling CS Lewis left University Church he came face-to-face with a carving that inspired the great lion Aslan in his Narnia chronicles. And, it’s this very foliate face in St Mary’s Passage from which I too have created my own character…in stone.

Oxford’s Medieval masons were highly skilled labourers who, with primitive tools, were able to construct the amazing buildings we can still enjoy today. Many believed they had some sort of magical secret, but this was actually an in-depth understanding of proportion and geometry. Much like my master for this one-off workshop, they combined the role of architect, designer and craftsman.

Nancy Peskett is no stranger to the construction industry – having trained in architecture at 'the other place' before working directly on Gothic masterpiece Winchester Cathedral, where she fulfilled her dream of hands-on contact with the very fabric of such historic buildings.

Traditionally, masons served a seven-year apprenticeship and a similar system still operates today. So, I was pleasantly surprised with the results of my two-hour taster working on the chain gang. Presented with a lump of Cotswold limestone I had no idea where to even begin. But, the best way is to don an apron and goggles, get stuck in and be prepared to get very dusty. Using a variety of mallets and chisels, I worked in relief – constantly evaluating the effect light and shade would create on the marks I was making.

As my confidence grew with every blow I began to let the material dictate the flow of my creativity and slowly my fella’s facial features emerged from the once flat surface. His distinctly furrowed brow and (literally) chiselled cheekbones are without supermodel symmetry, but at least he avoided a trip to the JR on a Sunday afternoon when I narrowly had his eye out.

A bad workman would blame his tools, but this is physically and mentally demanding work, so it’s easy for a lapse in concentration. Thankfully, Nancy’s expert guidance clawed back my creation and now safely home on my mantelpiece his winking eye will be watching over me for years to come.

As part of the Pitt Rivers Museum’s Verve Project, this type of event offers broader audiences the chance to engage in more meaningful ways with the collection. It’s far from just a dusty old academic institution, but a fun space in which to explore, create and make connections with distant cultures.

This year’s Pitt Fest, on September 3, will give visitors the unique opportunity to delve into the ancient Egyptian, Stone Age and Medieval worlds – all under one recently-refurbished roof.

For all details visit prm.ox.ac.uk.