Author Topic: dry stone walling (Read 4297 times)

daddymatty82 · « **on:** November 08, 2010, 10:49:57 am »

well does anyone do it? im looking into trying to find a course i can go on in the local area if i can find one. I hope to try and learn how to do this craft as was given the idea by a friend as im unemployed and i thought it maybe worth a go at doing. any advice would be great cheers matty

Fleecewife · « **Reply #1 on:** November 08, 2010, 11:33:55 am »

OH and I did a course a few years back - it's wonderful, far more skilled than you would at first think and immensely satisfying. Each area has its own style so now when we travel around we are constantly admiring walls

What we haven't yet done is to repair our own short section of drystane dyke, which is why we did the course in the first place

I'm sure that if you do a google search you will find courses. I think BTCV (is that the right acronym?) run them, but also maybe agric colleges. There is also a drystone walling association.

Susie · « **Reply #2 on:** November 08, 2010, 07:33:29 pm »

We used to live in Wiltshire and did a course there through the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust. Learned loads and went on a few practical days too just to practice. Going back a few years now though so not sure if they would still run courses

Fleecewife · « **Reply #3 on:** November 08, 2010, 09:23:41 pm »

Another organisation which does courses including drystane dyking is the Field Studies Council.

waterhouse · « **Reply #4 on:** November 10, 2010, 05:16:10 pm »

I don't know if the BTCV still runs courses still but they publish handbooks on this and a load of other useful skills - http://handbooks.btcv.org.uk/handbooks/index

lachlanandmarcus · « **Reply #5 on:** November 23, 2010, 10:53:12 pm »

If you are in Grampian you are very welcome to come and practise here :-)))....all of the dykes we inherited are falling down :-(

cmorrell · « **Reply #6 on:** November 24, 2010, 03:05:39 am »

I second (third?) the suggestion of talking to the BTCV http://www2.btcv.org.uk/ - or perhaps the National Trust / National Trust for Scotland. Both run regular weekends and weeks for volunteer work where skills such as various walling techniques are taught and implemented. I did some limestone dyking about 18 years ago with the Scottish Conservation Projects Trust (an offshoot of the BTCV and looks like they've merged again) which was basically drystane but with a traditional lime mortar used in East Lothian.

Hard work, but enjoyable.