Meet the Gen Z stonemason who restores historical landmarks damaged in World War II.

Charlie Gee, 22, followed in the footsteps of his dad who is also a stonemason.

Charlie specialises in cathedral masonry and has worked on some of Europe's most iconic landmarks, including Cologne Cathedral in Germany and the Palace of Justice in Brussels, Belgium.

At Cologne Cathedral, Charlie oversaw the completion of the restoration of the final eight pinnacles atop one of the site's spires—for the first time since World War II.

The 22-year-old says it is an "honour and privilege" to work on historical landmarks, some of which date back as far as the 13th century.

Charlie, of Bath, said: "I feel incredibly lucky to be able to work on a building that is hopefully going to be there for centuries.

"Cologne Cathedral specifically has been on my bucket list and it's been a great one to tick off.

"I was only there for one and two months but I hope to be returning for a longer period of work soon.

"I really feel the fact that I'm working on a piece of history when I'm at a cathedral like that and it's truly incredible."

Watching his father Matthew Gee, 47, restore historic landmarks inspired Charlie to follow in his footsteps and become a stonemason

Charlie said: "When I was five years old, we actually moved from Bath to Tuscany for six years for my dad's work.

Gen Z stonemason Charlie Gee. Photo released March 10 2025. Meet the Gen Z stonemason who has worked on historical landmarks all around Europe and is set on revolutionising interest in the trade for his young peers. Charlie Gee, 22, is a stonemason who, in the first seven years of his career, has already worked on historical landmarks like the Cologne Cathedral and the Palaces of Justice.At Cologne Cathedral, Charlie worked on the final of eight pinnacles atop one of the site's spires and oversaw the completion of all eight pinnacles for the first time since World War II.Charlie shares his work online with the direct intention of spreading awareness for stonemasonry, as he feels that a lot of people his age don't care or know about the trade anymore.
Gen Z stonemason Charlie Gee (Courtesy of Charlie Gee / SWNS)

"Living in Italy and seeing my dad work on churches out there inspired me to get involved in the same trade."

Charlie began his studies at Weymouth College at the age of 15 where he did a three-year stonemasonry course.

After that, he was accepted for a four-year apprenticeship at York Minster where apprentices work alongside part-time classes at York College.

Charlie said: "It was a big deal for me to get accepted into York Minster.

"York Minster has the best cathedral stonemasonry training as opposed to commercial stonemasonry in England and it's really competitive to get an apprenticeship.

"The difference between commercial and cathedral stonemasonry is that commercial stonemasons use a lot more power tools and usually want to get the job done as quickly as possible.

Gen Z stonemason Charlie Gee atop one of the spires at Cologne Cathedral. Photo released March 10 2025. Meet the Gen Z stonemason who has worked on historical landmarks all around Europe and is set on revolutionising interest in the trade for his young peers. Charlie Gee, 22, is a stonemason who, in the first seven years of his career, has already worked on historical landmarks like the Cologne Cathedral and the Palaces of Justice.At Cologne Cathedral, Charlie worked on the final of eight pinnacles atop one of the site's spires and oversaw the completion of all eight pinnacles for the first time since World War II.Charlie shares his work online with the direct intention of spreading awareness for stonemasonry, as he feels that a lot of people his age don't care or know about the trade anymore.
Gen Z stonemason Charlie Gee (Courtesy of Charlie Gee / SWNS)

"You can see in my videos that I'm always using a mallet and chisel, which is a lot more traditional."

Charlie left York Minster in late 2023 and has been self-employed ever since.

Thanks to his training, he gained access to a global network of cathedrals seeking stonemasons.

He has worked on the Cologne Cathedral in Germany, the Palace of Justice in Brussels, Belgium, the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, Italy, and the Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of Saint Peter in York, also known as York Minster.

Stonemasons all have a mark which they leave on stones crafted and Charlie's is his initials CG.

Charlie said: "It's so special to think your mark is on such an important landmark."