Moira Morriss stonecarver

In the second of our features on inspiring women we would like to introduce you to Moira Morriss. Moira runs a stonemasons and monumental masonry company based in Kilsby who specialise in supplying and installing individually designed memorials, headstones and cremation plaques. She prides herself on a caring personal service to make the choosing of a memorial for a loved one easier. a contracts manager and ran many restoration projects including Woburn Abbey, Basildon Park and many local churches. However, I was missing the “hands on” working with stone.

I have always made memorials and headstones in addition to working full time and two years ago, I was lucky enough to take the plunge and become self employed and now carve and letter cut full time. I have a workshop where I balance my time between memorial work and sculpture projects.

My aim to making memorials is a very client focused approach. From initial meetings with the family in the comfort of their home, through the design process, completing the application forms for the cemetery and the fitting, I try to make the process as comfortable as possible.

I take my time with the clients to interpret their wishes and my aim is that the result is very much part of their last gift to their loved one.

I also present slide talks covering my life in the stone trade to interested groups from WI to local history groups. These cover all aspects of the stone trade from restoration work on cathedrals to memorial design and artistic carving.

I am lucky to now be carving free hand in the workshops again and working in a variety of stones and exhibiting in galleries and art fairs.

If you would like to contact me please find me at www.moiramorrissmemorials.com

Certified Grief Recovery Method Specialist

I have been working in the stone industry for the last 30 years. I studied Fine Art at Wolverhampton Polytechnic, completed a City and Guilds in Stone Masonry at Weymouth College and was employed as a stone carver for 20 years from 1986.

I have worked as an architectural stone carver on many prestigious buildings including Liverpool Street Station, Westminster Abbey, Ely Cathedral, Cambridge Colleges and many others around the country.

As my career progressed, I moved from the workshop into managerial positions with masonry companies as