A new garden wall for the Owens Family

I had the pleasure of building this wall for our friends the Owens Family in their lovely garden.

If you would like a Les Young dry stone feature in your back garden then give me a call on +44 (0)7952 551025.

"Thank you Les - it's absolutely beautiful" Teresa Owens

Dry Stone Walling Course at Hebden Bridge May 2009

On this course we had Beginners, Improvers and a practice for Level 1 DSWA/Lantra examinations taking place. It was a great pleasure to welcome back past students and welcome new students to the beautiful (and very wet!) Colden Valley, who were wanting to learn the ancient craft of Dry Stone Walling.

All looked well on the Saturday morning as we walked up the hill from the accommodation after spending an hour learning all about H & S and the theory behind dry stone walling. As a precaution we had brought our shelter tent as the weather forecast wasn't too clever according to the BBC - and who argues with the BBC eh?!



Not long into stripping down the wall which the Beginners and Improvers were going to work on, the heavens opened and, just as it had done last August, it persisted it down in sharp bursts. But I'm very glad to say it didn't stop the walling - nor the banter!!



"Billy No Mates" Jayne drew the short straw and got started with her practice level 1 test on a section of wall (located at the top of the hill about 400m as the crow flys from where the lads were walling) which Helen had asked us to repair. I knew there wouldn't be enough stone to complete the repair but the gap was more than the 2.5 sq metres required for the level 1 test which was sufficient to give Jayne a taste of what is ahead when she takes her dry stone walling exams.



After a good soaking and slipping about in the mud it was all too soon time to pack in for the day and descend into Hebden Bridge for some fantastic beers and a GREAT meal at Theo's Greek Cypriot Restaurant. (We'd had a stunning Turkish meal at the Olive Branch the night before so honours even as far as we were concerned!!)

Day two started a little better but deteriorated as the day worse on. As before it didn't dampen our spirits (even when one of the tent poles snapped in the wind!) and the walls started to rise at a rapid rate.

At lunchtime Steve serenaded us with his version of one of my favourite Mississippi John Hurt songs, "Ain't Nobodys Business", and very good it was too!



Thanks to everyone for a great course and not letting the weather get to you!

Here are some photo's and videos of the course:

Beginners Course from L to R: Steve, Steve, Ray and Ian

Improvers Course: Louis and Neil

Level 1 test practice from the centre: Jayne

A big thank you to Helen and Phil for the use of their land, walls and facilities (get well soon Helen!). Thank you to John and Anne Greenacre of Riverdene House, Colden for their immaculate accommodation and even better breakfasts; to the New Delight, Fox and Goose and the many other pubs in Hebden Bridge who kept our fluid levels up (this is starting to sound like an Oscar acceptance speech!); to the Olive Branch and Theo's for their superb cuisine and to Bary Heeley for his assistance in instructing a thoroughly nice group of people.

Hadrian's Dry Stone Walling Course in Nabs Wood April 2009

For it being April the weather was pretty kind to us with only a fierce north wind to contend with.

There were Beginners and Improvers on the course which made it a busy weekend for the instructors.

Here's what happened -




If you would like to attend a dry stone walling course or require dry stone walls built please visit http://www.hadriansdrystonewalls.co.uk/ or call +44-752-551025.

Putting in the plaques for our 2008 courses at Nabs Wood

Nabs Wood was the scene of a tragic event in 1838 where 26 children drowned in the Huskar Pit Disaster. To keep the woods as a fitting memorial to the children our dry stone walling courses are rebuilding the walls around the wood.

After each years courses we place plaques in the wall with the names of those that have been on our courses, those who have very kindly donated stone and those who have helped out.

In March 2009 three past students kindly gave up their time to place 2008 plaques in the walls where the courses had built their part of the walls. This video shows the courses in progress and the plaques being paced in the walls.

I'd like to thank all past students, donators and helpers so very much for their efforts which have been brilliant and especially those students who returned and proudly placed their plaques in the walls.

Change of date for ColdenCourse In May

Due to circumstances beyond our control the May 09-10th Course at Colden will now take place on May 16th and 17th. Sorry for any inconvienience.

Hadrian's Dry Stone Walls On Tour - Scotland v Italy Feb09

We have visited Rome several times to watch the Italy v Scotland game which has always been a terrific occasion with the Italian supporters being wonderful to us. Our friend Massimo helps us get our tickets for the game so we were delighted when he said he would come over for the Scotland v Italy game at Murrayfield. It would be Massimo's first rugby international, him being a very keen football supporter.

I put together this compilation of a great weekend. What a boost the Scottish economy got that weekend!!

Thanks to my friends for making this so good, to Massimo for coming over and plunging into the unknown, to the Italian supporters we met and had several drinks with, La Maison Bleue for a terrific mail, Premier Inns for a great stay and the Bow Bar - my favorite pub.

Dry Stone Walling around a newly built house

First Dry Stone Walling Course of 2009 and Placing Of Plaques

Just in case you've forgotten, the first dry stone walling course of 2009 takes place on 7-8th March at Nabs Wood, Silkstone Common, South Yorkshire. Due to a cancellation there's a place available on the course. Please go to the web site to apply.

In addition we'll be placing the plaques in the walls we built last year. The plaques have the names of those who have built the walls or helped with stone donations. We have past students coming along on Saturday afternoon to build the plaques into the walls and then go to the Station Inn for a pint or two of landlord Mark Greys finest ale.

We'll also be going to the Chilli Lodge for a curry. It's recently been refurbished and they've also launched a new menu. It had a great menu before but the new one is even better and the dishes are superb. If you want to join us let me know by 6th March so I can forewarn Abdul and his staff - 07952 551025.

Win a DVD containing all you need to know about Dry Stone Walling!!

Here's your chance to win a cracking DVD in which revered Master Craftsmen explain how to build a dry stone wall, reveal some of the history of dry stone walling, show you dry stone features and much more. It's a gem of a DVD and anyone with an interest in dry stone walling should have it as part of their reference library.

How do you win it?

Answer these three questions correctly to be entered into the draw for the DVD:

1. What are the missing words from this quote which can be found by playing the "What we do!" video on our home page?

"Despite my aching muscles a fantastic weekend. ___________________________, I will be back"

2. An 'A-Frame' can be made using pins named after a part of an animal. What are the pins called? (You can find the answer in our e-shop via our home page or at my-emporium.co.uk)

3. When do our Beginners Dry Stone Walling Courses begin and end? (the answer on our web site under "courses"!)

Place your answers in the message box of the on-line contact form on our web site, fill in your details and send it to us. Correct entries will be put into a draw and the lucky winner picked out of my favourite walling hat on 1st April 2009. We'll then contact the lucky winner by email and send off your prize.

Good luck!

Postscript: 1st April 2009.

I am very pleased to announce that the winner of the DVD is Mr Derek Liddell from the UK!

Thanks to everyone from around the globe who entered the competition. Watch this space for the next one!

Santa Claus the closet Dry Stone Waller!!

There I was thinking of what to put on this site to celebrate the festive season with the people who have been on our dry stone walling courses, had walls and features built by us, customers of our e-shop and friends we have met through this site.

Lo and behold, I got some festive photo's of Santa Claus and a miniture dry stone wall. So its official! Santa Claus makes dry stone walls during the summer!!

Santa and his dry stone wall

Santa's livestock give their seal of approval to his wall!

Santa's groupies admire his handiwork!

Santa's Christmas wishes just might come true!

May you have a very merry Christmas and all the very best for 2009!!

Thanks to Jayne Hill for the fly on the wall photo's of "Santa the Dry Stone Waller". She may be as mad as a mongoose but she's a lovely lass, a good waller (and getting better!) and a great friend!

Les Young Appears on BBC TV's Escape to the Country

Diane's Wall

Now here's an interesting project which we were involved in this year. Diane wanted some ideas on what to do with this wall which was in need of repair.
Diane also wanted something a bit different as the gateway into her garden. Maybe something to train her Wisteria over to train it onto her lovely period house?

Here's the outcome of several visits to Diane's home with drawings to discuss ideas with her and husband John. After several hours of deliberation and discussions Diane and John decided on the design they liked best.

We rebuilt the wall to encompass a wrought iron gate, bringing the wall up to meet the top of the gate, which has the effect of concentrating the eye on the gateway and the garden beyond. It was difficult to build due to the monstrous trellis 6 inches behind the wall which the Wisteria was growing up. I had several run ins with that Wisteria which turned the air somewhat blue!!



Here's the lady of the house, Diane, with the finshed wall - a very happy lady!

Thanks to the building team of Jayne and Jake and to Diane and John for their support during the planning and building - and the endless cups of tea which kept us going!

Walling Course at Silkstone Common 11-12 October 2008

For being the middle of October is was surprisingly mild in Nabs Wood as we kicked this course off. After the usual theory session, tea & coffee in the Station Inn, Silkstone Common getting down to stripping down the wall began. As usual it didn't take long for the people on the course to start chatting with each other, and more importantly, work with each other.

We were very happy to welcome our second Australian lady, Lisa, onto this course (our first Aussy lady was called Lisa - are all Aussy ladies called Lisa??!!). As you can see from the photo above she was so keen that she was just a blur as she got stuck into the walling!! So where are all the Aussy blokes on our walling courses? Surely they all can't be in the bar!!



Jane (in the black hat above) is a lovely lady in her 60's. She's also very brave and determined as she's recently had both hips replaced and here she is on our course, which she managed very well indeed!

Richard and Steve are already DSWA Level 1 qualified wallers and they were on an Improvers Course to hone their walling techniques and learn how to build a cheek end (wall end) which is required to progress and pass Level 2 exams.

We brought day one to a close at about 16:30 after a good days work. As Mathew pointed out we all were due to a blood transfusion to replace lost blood because the midges were wicked towards late afternoon! A couple of beers and a super meal at the Chilli Lodge soon sorted that out though!

It rained overnight and when I did my initial survey of the site just after dawn on Sunday, it was still raining. By 09:30 when we were all gathered the rain had stopped and the sun was forcing it's way from behind the clouds to give us a lovely warm sunny day to complete our wall. Even the midges must have taken time off to sun bathe as we weren't bothered by them at all! How strange!

The chuckle brothers (Shaun and Mathew) provided some really funny banter and comments keeping us all laughing.

Peter was the 3rd member of the Improvers Course and he managed to learn how to build a cheekend and a retaining wall to help him with his first commission. Peter was on our Beginners Course at Hebden Bridge in May. In the photo above the Improvers are swapping notes or maybe bartering with each other for decent cheek end stone!

Quite a lot of story swapping on lots of different topics goes on during our courses! Here John and Rob are sorting out the Credit Crunch over a cuppa!
Pete prepared the very wet ground for his small retaining wall putting into practice some of the drill movements he learned many years ago.









L to R: Back - Craig, Barry, Rob, John, Dean, Mathew, Shaun, Richard

Front - Peter, Steve, Jane and Lisa

And here they are as one. As usual the course was full of nice and interesting people from all walks of life. It was a real pleasure to teach them and have their company for the weekend.

Dry Stone Walling Courses 2009

Here are the dates for our Dry Stone Walling Courses for 2009:

Dates	Location	Grade
7-8/03/09	Silkstone Common	Beginners & Improvers
28-29/3/09	Private Course
4-5/4/09	Silkstone Common	Beginners & Improvers
9-10/5/09	Colden	Beginners & Improvers
6-7/06/09	Silkstone Common	Beginners & Improvers
18-19/6/09	Silkstone Common	Beginners & Improvers
15-16/8/09	Colden	Beginners & Improvers
12-13/9/09	Silkstone Common	Beginners & Improvers
10-11/10/09	Silkstone Common	Beginners & Improvers
TBA		Walling For Women
TBA		Special Features

You can get more information from our web site and pay for courses at our shop where you can also buy walling tools, books, clothes and much more!

Dry Stone Walling Course at Hebden Bridge August 2008

This is the wettest course we've held so far! It absolutely tipped it down all Saturday. Waterproofs were no protection against the rain.

Barry looks a bit forlorn in this picture! He looks how the rest of us were feeling!

It was that bad that I called it a day shortly after 15:00 as it was getting so slippy. So we instructors retired to our accommodation, Riverdene House, where John and Ann had switched on the heating in preparation of us returning with wet gear. A quick shower then into Hebden Bridge where we had another (we ate there on Friday night too!) great meal at the Olive Branch which is a Turkish restaurant run by Oguz and his team.

Chris Heeley came along with us to repair a retaining wall in Helens & Phil's paddock - as well as to drink lots of beer!
Sunday was a better day - thank goodness. We cleared away about 6 inches of oozing mud which had collected during the night. All our boots were still soaking off the previous day - except mine because I'd remembered to bring my very warm and dry Toggi wellies!

It didn't take long for the ground to churn up and despite there being only two short sharp showers, the ground didn't dry up at all.

Here's Bernadette trying her hand at mud dancing!

We were really starting to struggle for decent stone by the time we got to wall height which required some heavy hammer work to make 3 pieces of stone from one! Here's Bill taking a swing at a BOB (big orrible b*£$&"!) to make more building stone. Notice the Heeleys doing what they do best - standing and watching!

Yours truly tidies the gear away while Bill inspects his handiwork.

From L to R: Chris, Bernadette, Andrew, Fred, Bill (kneeling), Colin and Andrew. A really nice bunch of people and a real pleasure to teach.

The course with the addition of Chris Heeley on the left and big daddy Heeley, Barry, on the right.