Carvero reinstated this cantilevered stone staircase as part of the refurbishment of the old Georgian prison at Lincoln Castle, one of Lincolnshire’s most important historic sites.

The missing lower section of the staircase was rebuilt from the ground floor to the first floor, where it joins the still-existing original stone staircase leading up to the second floor. The work was carried out using the original drawings as a guide.

The treads were made from Tadcaster magnesium limestone, specified by the architect because it is a locally and historically appropriate stone. This allowed the reinstated section to connect naturally with the character of the building and the surviving stone staircase above.

The design follows the original single-purpose nature of the prison staircase. There is no unnecessary detail, no decorative nosing and no attempt to make the stair more elegant than it needed to be. It is a prison stair: strong, direct, practical and built to last.

Each tread is formed as a simple square stone block, built into the wall to create the cantilevered structure. The staircase is modest in appearance, but it is still a valuable example of traditional stonemasonry, careful setting out and sympathetic heritage reinstatement.

Although this staircase was created for a historic refurbishment in Lincolnshire, the same principle can also work in a contemporary setting. A cantilevered natural stone stair formed from clean square blocks could be paired with glass, fine metalwork or a minimal handrail to create a much more modern architectural expression.