A notable feature of the carving work on Henry VII chapel are the heraldic beasts; greyhounds, lions and dragons, which cling to the building everywhere one looks. They peer down from string courses, pinnacles, cupolas, and flying buttress copings. The opportunity to re-carve over 200 of these beasts was a carver’s dream come true. Each was individually designed; no two are identical. The intention was to reproduce the spirit of the originals preserved inside the chapel, which are lively and diverse in design, with a striking indication of movement and variation in pose, and expression and character in the heads. Each carver produced a small sketch in clay before commencing work. As Head Carver I carved a number of specimens at the beginning of the job to establish the treatment I wanted, and ensure that over the extended contract period the carving team preserved a consistent style throughout.