Prince Charles' stonemasonry attempt

Britain's Prince Charles donned a pair of plastic goggles as he attempted stonemasonry as he toured Lincoln Cathedral earlier this week.

Britain's Prince Charles attempted stonemasonry as he toured Lincoln Cathedral earlier this week.

The future king - who was watched by his wife, The Duchess of Cornwall - donned plastic safety goggles as he used a chisel and mallet to hack away at a piece of stone at the cathedral's workshop in East Midlands, England.

Paul Atkin, team leader of stonemasons, said it was not Charles' first try at the technique.

He said: "He did some the last time he was here. We want to improve his skills from the last time. We need a few more weeks to get him up to scratch."

Paul is hoping Charles' visit will help highlight the work needed on the cathedral, which costs more than £3 million a year to run.

Lincoln is one of only three cathedrals which preserve traditional skills through a team of 30 craftsmen and women consisting of stonemasons, glaziers, plumbers, carpenters, conservators and archivists.

Many of the team have honed their skills over decades but some new apprentices have also been drafted in to prevent the techniques from dying out.

Charles and Camilla visited the cathedral as part of a tour of Lincolnshire aimed at celebrating rural life and preserving traditional crafts.