News Story 4 - Beacon Villages Journal

Devon Rural Skills - Dry Stone Walling
Following the success of previous courses over the last seven years, Dartmoor National Park Authority is offering rural skills training courses in September, to support and encourage the preservation and use of traditional rural skills and potentially increase the opportunities for employment for those within the National Park.
	There was a demonstration day to show what is involved in building or repairing a traditional stone wall at Ford Farm, Sticklepath given by Devon Rural Skills Trust Master Craftsman Dave Hannaford, who will be teaching on the September Course.
		The site for the demonstration was 'kindly given' by Lt-Col Tony Clarke of Ford Farm but I am sure he will agree that the wall needed repairing anyway! As you can see, Dave was ably assisted by a young man but I am afraid I didn't get his name, as I was too busy taking photos. I believe the lovely Sheltie you will see below belonged to him.
It was a beautiful day, with a lot of hot sunshine but somehow Dave made it look very easy. The pictures here of him lifting some earth were the most strenuous exercise I saw him take. However, this was Thursday and, I gather, he had started Tuesday, taking out the old hedge and laying the foundations.
	It would appear that one doesn't make the foundations too deep as 'they would only form a channel for the rainwater to undermine the wall'. Dave was asked if there was much stone cutting but he replied no, the skill was in choosing the correct stone to place. Apparently if, in a day, he put down again three stones, that he had picked up to lay, that would be a bad day!
		There were not only human onlookers at the demonstration. Both dogs appeared to be eager to assist our two instructors. Probably the Sheltie gets it from his master but the other? He assured me that he gets very little from his 'horrible master' and, by the way, his name is Ember and not 'horrible dog'.
There did seem to me to be a lot of advantage in having a good pile of granite to choose from, in the first place. Dave and his assistant had this in their favor although I don't suppose that it just happened to be laying about there. I really enjoyed the hour or so that I spent watching and learning from a Master Craftsman at work. I am sure that anyone who goes for the September course will come away greatly skill enhanced.
	If you missed this one, the DNP & DRST will be putting on another demonstration day, at the same site, on July 7th The September course will provide tuition in both dry stone walling and stone facing and will include a session on manual handling, safe lifting and first aid. Details from : Sue Halse Land Management Officer Dartmoor National Park 01626 832093

	page top