Watch
David Norrish for a few minutes and you realize that here is
a man who learnt his skill at the knees of his father and grandfather.
There is, he says, a ‘feel’ to every
stone and boulder – and a way of incorporating it in your
dry stone wall.
Dry stone walling goes back thousands of years, originating in Scotland and the
Orkneys. As the name suggests, the wall is created without mortar and is held
up simply by the interlocking of the stones themsleves.
Dry stone walls are found
everywhere in Britain where sufficient quantities of rock and
stone are found on or near the surface of the land. They characterise the look and shape of
Devon and are also found all over the world – witness the
terraces throughout the Mediterranean for example.
Dry stone walls provide 'natural, locally sourced'
barriers and shelter for a wide range of animals and insects, and
are specially useful in places where trees and hedges do not grow
easily because of the climate, elevation, strong winds or thin
soils. If built correctly, a dry stone wall can last a lifetime
or more.
On this course
Dry stone walling is certainly a skill worth knowing; there is
a growing demand for the repair and preservation of these features.
The main purpose of the course is to equip you
with the necessary knowledge and confidence to build a modest wall
as a first project. The challenge is akin to building a three-dimensional
jigsaw!
But the knowledge need not be limited to walls or boundaries. How
about a stone sculpture in your garden, a modest waterfall, or
a hand-crafted feature to hold plants or vegetables?
The principal aim of the course is to give you
as much ‘hands-on’ experience as possible - under the
careful eye of a man who has won awards for his stone-walling.
Course summary
• A short, illustrated introduction to the history and traditions of
stone-walling
• What tools you need
• A practical demonstration on how to choose and lay stone, starting
from scratch
• How to ‘face’ stone where necessary
• How to maintain your wall or structure once it’s up
Course numbers are restricted to a maximum of 10
people so there will be plenty of time for your questions and one-to-one
attention.
Lunch and refreshments will be provided from produce
grown at the Husbandry School, naturally.
