A Special Hadrian's Wall!!

I was commissioned by David Cross to build a wall at the bottom of his garden to separate a vegetable plot and play area from the main lawn. The garden had been levelled ready for landscaping and David wanted the wall building before the turf and plants were brought on site.

David, being an architect and a director of Coda Studios, wanted something special for his garden. After a couple of site visits to throw some ideas around and to physically mark out our ideas so that we could visualise what the end result would be, David decided on an undulating, curved wall in two sections with a seat built into one section. A doddle eh!!

David had moved 20 tonnes of stone from his front drive to the bottom of the garden so while I pinned out the job I had help from Sam, Andy and Jake to sort the stone into foundation stone, building stone, through stone, cheek end stone, stone for the seat and potential stone for the copestones. This in itself took a great deal of time and was in fact an ongoing process throughout the build.

After 50 man hours the first section of curved undulating wall was built. Now the next challenge
the same again plus a seat! I’d thought long and hard on how to pin this section out and spent a good 3 hours placing pins and running strings between them to visualise the finished job and to make sure the curve and line of the wall and seat flowed.

On this section I had the help of Dom and Declan who had completed their DSWA Level 1 exams at their college under the guidance of Master Craftsman Bill Noble. I’d brought them along to help sort the remaining stone and to act as labourers bringing me the stone I required as I built the wall. I could see they were dying to have a go and put some stone into the wall so under supervision I let them loose on the wall. They did a great job. I was really impressed at their skills and the care they took. A credit to their teacher!

The wall and seat completed it then took me a days work (on my own, everyone seemed to do a runner at this stage – I wonder why?!!) to select cut and shape nearly 200 (cope) stones for the top of the wall. I had arms like Arnie by the time I’d finished!!

What has made the wall for me is the excitement and delight with which it has been received by David and his wife Toni. In fact David got so enthused he built himself a little wall around the plot with the spare stone and considering he hadn’t had any tuition he did a great job of it. (He’d have done better if he’d been on one of my courses!!). When David said to me ‘It’s even better than I imagined! It’s beautiful. I’m delighted.’ then I knew I had done a good job!

A Beginners Dry Stone Walling Course from a students perspective

Beginners Dry Stone Walling Course 11^th -12^th August 2007, Silkstone Common, South Yorkshire

Instructor : Les Young

Students: Andy Suttie ( this is moi), Alan Bell, John Armitage, Mike Dennis, Ian Garside, Reece Senior

The course started on the Saturday morning, where else but in the local Pub ( The Station Inn). Unfortunately the bar was closed and tea / coffee was all that was available. We started with the some basic theory for approx 1 hour. We then went off to Nabs Wood, a quiet little spot, the sun was shining, it was going to be a beautiful day, in fact it was bloody roasting.

We were to continue a wall started by a previous course. We did, in the end do another 4.5 meters between the 6 of us. We first had to get our stone sorted out, this sounds a bit daft but it really does make life a lot easier when you start to build your wall, largest stones in a row nearest the wall, and then about 4 or 5 more rows with the smallest stones furthest from the wall. This took about 1.5 hours. After lunch we started by preparing the foundations, then used the largest stones for the base. During the course of the day we did the first foot of the wall. Les kept everyone happy by preparing copious amounts of tea. We finished on the Saturday at about 1630, and guess what, yes back to the pub for some light refreshment in the form of Tetley’s, and I don’t mean Teabags. As is normal we then went to the Chilli Lodge Indian Restaurant for some nice food and some more beer........

On Sunday we were back on the job at 0930 to continue the wall. We were lucky with the weather again, although cooler it stayed dry. By lunch time we had the first lift done and the through stones in place. The second lift was complete by about 1500, and by 1600 we had the copestones in place and our part in the great rewall of Nabs Wood done. We then adjourned to the pub for a well earned beer(s) and the certificate presentation.

During the weekend we had a couple of visits from Barry a professional dry stone waller from High Hoyland. I think he only turned up for a brew! We also had a visit from Charlotte from Rotherham Chamber of Commerce, who said she was impressed by the work we had done.

It was a great weekend and a great course, Les really knows his stuff. I would recommend anyone to have a go at Dry Stone Walling, man or woman. It is very relaxing and when the weather is as nice as it was this weekend, it makes it all the more enjoyable. Also I made some new friends, a real nice bunch of guys. At the end of course, you have something to show for your efforts, which will be there for many years to come.

Andy Suttie

Welwyn Garden City

Beginners Course at Silkstone Common 11th and 12th August 2007

The course gathered at The Station Inn at Silkstone Common on a sunny and warm day for a cup of tea and a steady start to the day. Our students included ex Army and Navy personnel, Telecoms Engineer, Insurance Broker and Driving Instructor to name a few. After an hours introduction and theory session we took leave of the best landlord in South Yorkshire, Mark Grey, and travelled the short distance to our walling site in Nabs Wood.

It wasn't long before the students were wiping their brow due to the exertions of stripping down the wall and sorting out the stone into the seperate component parts i.e. foundation stone, walling stone, throughstones, copestones and heartings. Although this part of the walling process can be quite tedious it's an essential part of the process and fits into my ethos of the 7 P's, which should be well known to all servicemen, which are - Prior Preparation and Planning Prevents Pi** Poor Performance! Witticisms aside, preparation is paramount in marking out and planning your wall before a stone is even laid.

Under the tuition of Les Young the pins were set and the wall started taking shape and despite the efforts of a couple of nosey dogs to derail the course, the wall was at a foot high when we packed in for the day.

It has now become a tradition that on the Saturday evening of the course we all descend on the Chilli Lodge, and excellent Indian restaurant located a few hundred yards from the walling site at Westfield Equestrian Centre - after a couple of well earned pints of Tetley's back at the Station Inn that is!! This course there were 17 poeple at the table!! The company included the current students, past students, parents of past students, professional dry stone wallers, significant other halfs and the lovely Charlotte from Rotherham Chamber of Commerce who had given up her Saturday to report on our walling courses. I'm please to say that the company and meal were excellent as were the Bangla's with which we rinsed it down with!












































Sunday was a little cooler with not as much sun but for us working under under the sheltered and shady canopy of Nabs Wood it didn't affect us too much. Before too long we had completed the first lift and placed the throughstones into the wall. The walling carried on in relative silence, a sure sign of concentration and effort, which I think you'll agree turned out to be a splendid piece of walling for the students first try at dry stone walling!!

A big thank you to (from L to R) Andy, Reece, Alan, Mike, John and Ian for their participance, company, wit and repartee!

For information on Hadrian's Dry Stone Walls please click here.

Alternatively you can call Les Young on +44 (0)7952 551025.

Dry Stone Walling Courses

The Beginners Course at Silkstone Common 11th and 12th August is now fully booked and the Beginners Course at the same location on the 6th and 7th of October is filling fast.

Unfortunately we have had to cancel two courses at Colden, 20th - 24th August and 15th-16th September due to family commitments. We now have a waiting list for budding wallers who want to attend a course at Colden, West Yorkshire which we hope hold on a weekend sometime in the Autumn. Please call Les for details (07952 551025) or email les@hadriansdrystonewalls.com

Courses at our partner dry stone walling training company Border Stonecraft continue to be very popular and have a high demand. Please go to Border Stonecraft to book a place at a course in the Scottish Borders.

Course dates for 2008 are now on our web site www.hadriansdrystonewalls.co.uk.

New for 2008 are our Special features Courses. Already earmarked is an Apiary made from dry stone at a college for young people with special needs near Wakefield. More details are at our Special Features Courses page or you can call Les on 07952 551025 or email at les@hadriansdrystonewalls.co.uk

www.hadriansdrystonewalls.co.uk