Durham Cathedral stonemason Steve Mann has completed a "labour of love" carving a unique replica of the famous Sanctuary Ring on the North Door.
Mr Mann, the cathedral’s longest-serving mason, has put the finishing touches to the replica, believed to be the only one in stone, after three years’ work.
He carved it from a 314kg block of Blaxter sandstone donated by Paul and Alex Allinson, of Dunhouse Quarry, Staindrop, the cathedral’s main supplier.
Mr Mann, from Willington, estimates he spent 450 hours of his own time carving the piece, which is partly a memorial to former colleague Matthew Clifford.
Durham Cathedral stone mason Steve Mann and his completed 'labour of love' a unique stone version of the building's famous Sanctuary Knocker
He was inspired after fellow masons said carving the knocker in stone would be a challenge, following former colleague Raymond Wellburn’s wooden replica of the Sanctuary Ring.
Stone mason Steve Mann, right, with his now stone carving alongside former cathedral colleague Raymond Wellburn, who produced a wooden version of the Sanctuary Ring several years ago
The cathedral was a medieval pilgrimage site and sanctuary, where people fleeing the law or persecution used the 'ring', or 'knocker' to seek admission.
The original Sanctuary Ring, or Sanctuary Knocker, on the main North Door at Durham Cathedral
“It’s me giving back to the cathedral, which has been very supportive of me and helped me gain valuable skills as a crafts person," said Mr Mann, who spent his first four years there as a mason’s labourer before completing his training.
“It’s part memorial to Matthew Clifford, who I worked with during my early years at the cathedral, but also tribute and testimony to the craft and to the work of the stone masons here.
Cathedral stone mason put in 450 hours of work in his own time to create a stone replica of the cathedral's Sanctuary Knocker
“It’s all been made by hand, using traditional tools and techniques.”
Mr Mann is a Freeman of Durham, having been admitted to the mason's guild a number of years ago.
Cathedral joiner Terry Orton made the plinth for the carved ring, while other colleagues helped position the carving in Durham Cathedral Museum, the former Monks’ Dormitory.
Stone mason Steve Mann with his completed carving of the Sanctuary Ring in the Durham Cathedral Museum
Alison Cullingford, head of library and collections, said the museum’s changing light reveals the carving’s full beauty, unlike the dark cathedral Undercroft where it was created.
The finished piece is on display in the museum during cathedral opening hours.
Mr Mann’s next challenge is based on lettering from the cathedral, with visitors told to “watch this space” for its future display.
The original 12th-century bronze Sanctuary Ring is preserved in the cathedral museum, while a modern replica remains fixed to the North Door.