Course Dates for 2008

Here are the dates and locations for our Dry Stone Walling Courses during 2008. There will be other courses due to demand (there is currently a waiting list of folk wanting to do a course before March 2008 which we will do when the weather permits at Silkstone Common) so please keep your eye on this site and also at www.hadriansdrystonewalls.co.uk/courses/index.php.

Here we go then:

1/2 March 2008 Beginners and Improvers at Nabs Wood, Silkstone Common

5/6 April 2008 Walling for Women at Nabs Wood, Silkstone Common

10/11 May 2008 Beginners at Colden near Hebden Bridge

14/15 June 2008 Beginners and Improvers at Nabs Wood, Silkstone Common

12/13 July 2008 Beginners and Improvers at Nabs Wood, Silkstone Common

21/25 July 2008 Special Features at the Pennine Camphill Community, Wakefield

9/10 August 2008 Beginnersand Improvers at Colden near Hebden Bridge

13/14 September 2008 Beginners and Improvers at Nabs Wood, Silkstone Common

11/12 October 2008 Beginners and Improvers at Nabs Wood, Silkstone Common



For further details please see our web site or better still call Les Young on +44 (0)7952 551025.

Walling for Women 05-06 April 2008

The first Walling for Womens Course has been scheduled for 5th and 6th April 2008. The format is exactly the same as a Beginners Course except it's specifically designed for ladies. This will be held at Nabs Wood, Silkstone Common.

Cost is £105.75 (£90 + VAT). To book your place on the course please either download an application form or fill in the on line booking form.

If there is the demand for a ladies only course at any of our other locations i.e. Hebden Bridge, Northumberland ot Hawick, we will gladly hold a Walling for Women course at these beautiful locations. Please call Les (07952 551025) or email us at info@hadriansdrystone walls.com and we will put your name on a holding list.

A very different Dry Stone Walling Course!

Strange how things turn out isn’t it? This course was oversubscribed and by 09:30 on Saturday it was 2 members short! Even so it was a good course with Gareth, Mick, Nick and Johno asking lots of good questions and taking care with their walling – in fact they took too much care and got themselves into a tizzy trying to find that ‘perfect’ stone!

We had a splendid meal at the Chilli Lodge on Saturday night and we were joined by past student Hugo and Barry from High Hoyland Dry Stone Walls. Barry gave the students an alternative insight into walling as a career, the up’s and downs and the difficulty small start up businesses has with the tax man and all the other red tape that is there to trip up today’s entrepreneur.

Sunday was certainly different as we were joined by the TV crew from Yorkshire TV’s My Yorkshire who were filming our course for inclusion in the program. I was worried that the filming would be intrusive and maybe spoil the course but I needn’t have worried on that score. The crew (Mark Stokes (Camera), Terry Meadowcroft (Sound), Ian Clayton (Presenter) and Jane Hickson (Producer)) were great and really nice people so before too long we were one big happy walling family!! To make the course run smoothly with so many folk involved, Barry very kindly gave up his Sunday to give me a hand.

I think all the course, and Barry too, were chuffed to be interviewed by Ian for My Yorkshire. They were that chuffed they didn’t make any sarcy comments when Ian had a go at some walling!

If the care and patience the crew used in filming our course is anything to go by, the TV program should be great!

Thank you to one and all for a great course. It was a pleasure to meet you and I’ll look forward to seeing you on an Improvers Course – including Ian!! A big thanks to Barry for his help and humour!!

The course from L to R: Nick, Santa's large helper Barry, Mick, Jonathan (Johno) and Gareth

The My Yorkshire crew and cast, L to R: Terry, Mark, Jane, Ian, Barry, Mick, Nick, Johno and Gareth

Comments about the course:

" I enjoyed the weekend and had a great sense of achievement when we'd finished the wall"

"This course was a great introduction to the art of Dry Stone Walling. Instructor was excellent. Very friendly atmosphere"

"From a younger persons perspective this course offers a valuable alternative to everyday life. Really interesting and I learned a lot. Thanks!"

"I found this beginners course excellent. It has taught me the basics of Dry Stone Walling which is valuable knowledge and an additional skill. I look forward to future Improvers Courses!"

Post Script: We had the first batch of plaques made with names of those who have contributed to the re-walling of Nabs Wood and the first plaque was placed in the wall at the end of this course. A big thank you to John Walton Engraving who really pulled out the stops to get the plaques engraved and back to me in 5 days and a huge thanks to Dave Steel who made fixings and mounted the plaques ready for fitting.