A Dry Stone Walling Workshop Bedfordshire

My husband and I attended the workshop run by John on 10th Aug. We had a thoroughly enjoyable day and gained great insights into techniques used to build dry stone walls. John is a great instructor and very patient with absolute novices. There’s a good balance of checking/making sure you are on track and being left alone to work it out for yourself. Very therapeutic! I would actually like to go back to do a 2nd day to try building different part to the wall e.g. foundations stones. Thanks for a memorable day.

I had a wonderful day! It seemed to pass extremely quickly, which was a testament to John's insights and "the wall." It is essentially a big jigsaw. I learned about basking stones, hearting stones, batter, first lift and second lift and more to boot. It was an inspiring and renewing experience which I would recommend to anybody in these fast days of computer games.

I have been looking forward to doing this course for some time. I have always loved DSW, having the chance to learn new skills is great and John is a great teacher.
I cant wait to put what i have learned in my own projects at home and friends.
5*
Thank you for a great day.

A very good day despite the weather. Excellent insight from John and good company. I am inspired to attend a practice weekend to go one stage further.

Had a very good day. Learnt I can’t keep a straight course, with thin pieces of stone. Got better with the hammer chipping bits off to reshape.
Leant some terms, batter the angle of the wall, jumper - evening up a course.
Would take on doing a wall at home.

Very interesting course amazing what you can learn in just one day

I found the Dry Stone Walling course to be very educational, and set at the right level for those attending. John was very knowledgable and helped the course along with his encouragement and anecdotes. It gave me the confidence to try a a few small home projects, and an interest to learn more about this countryside craft.

The day with John was a great experience! There were 7 'students' (all excellent company by the way) having a go at what, on the face of it, seems a straightforward process. I soon learnt how straightforward John made it seem!!

John spent time patiently explaining the process, showing details of the wall already built and pointing out the features of a dry stone wall. He dealt with the wall from foundation up and we soon learnt some of the terminology (2 on 1, 1 on 2, jumpers, cheek ends, batter etc.) and were able to (try and) apply the principles taught. I don't consider myself a good DIYer although I give things a go and this is the attitude that John wants. For me, it was not easy, and you should see it as a hands-on taster/introduction to the subject. In that regard, it was very good.

John's dry stone walling course is an active participation in learning the basic skills of wall construction. I thoroughly enjoyed the course but more importantly took away the necessary skills and appreciation for the wonderful works of stone that most of us just walk past. John is a fountain of knowledge on all matters of stone and patiently answered all my questions. I am looking forward to another course taught by him.

The trainer,John Holt, emailed sheets before the course giving basic guidance on good and bad practice in Dry Stone Walling which was helpful preparation. He also sent good instructions on location etc.

The course was very 'hands-on' which was ideal for such a practical subject. John gave us a brief talk on what we needed to do and then watched us doing it giving us tips and helping where necessary. We worked in two teams, one on the base of the wall we were building and the other on the higher level, switching over after lunch so that we all experienced both.

We were given instruction in how to lay out the strings to keep the wall straight and the courses of stone even, plus the dimensions required to make the batter frame.

A really good, informative and enjoyable day.

Really enjoyed this course as I had seen a few things on TV about dry stone walls and there importance.

John was excellent at demonstrating the batters, ratio of wall depths and thicknesses in proportion to the height. Had a great time chipping the stones, introducing the shims and the through and through stones to give rigidity. I would like to do more of this and hopefully will get an opportunity soon.
I feel confident in placing the foundation stones to the best advantage and following the lines of the batter to make a complete wall. A friend has bought a farm house in wales with lots of walls that need fixing so this will come in useful.

Many thanks
Tim Aitken

Who'd have thought it, I'm a Waller! I won't say it wasn't tiring work but I found it very satisfying assessing the right stone for the right place and seeing the wall grow strong and sound to the required shape and size. What a sense of achievement to build something beautiful that could stand for hundreds of years
A huge thank you to John for his careful tutelage. What a gent.

Very enjoyable .The information ,history and Johns easy going approach struck exactly the
right balance and by the end I had learnt a lot .Thankyou

Fantastic course. Found the information about the snare holes and basking stones especially interesting. Thanks for a great time!

Clear, practical and friendly. Pleasing to have contributed to an enduring project rather than a sample wall that would be dismantled.

As a Landscape Gardener, I have knowledge of bonding brickwork and the principles behind strength in walls, foundations etc. The knowledge that John has can only be achieved through years of experience and thats what i was after from the day. All the little tips and tricks that real, traditional craftsmen possess are priceless. John is a genuine, friendly gent whose passion for the craft is evident in his teaching. Cracking day with my Dad for a bit of Father/ Son bonding.
Thanks John!

I had an excellent day along with my son. Having been involved within construction in different roles for many years it had always been an ambition of mine to learn the art of DSW. I wasn't disappointed.
I found John to be a very enthusiastic ,most knowledgeable instructor, who obviously gets great satisfaction in passing on his extensive knowledge to others, with his directing and instructing at different stages of construction .
Thank you John we had such a good day.
Jim & Shay

I had a great day, great company, great instruction . John was excellent and very informative. Gave everyone in the group equal time and answered every question asked. I feel that, with the instruction given, I could quite confidently build my own wall. I would recommend this course to anyone that wants to spend a day in the fresh air, away from computers and phones and learn something new.
Thanks.

Huge thanks to John and Mike for providing a fabulous day of learning and laughter! We were a small group of four which proved ideal for group and individual coaching in the challenging art of dry stone walking. John is patient, encouraging and with a dry sense of humour. We really felt that we'd accomplished something pretty special by the end of our day which incidentally flew by. As the homework suggests, it looks simple but isn't! Johns ability to eyeball a stone and with a deft hammer blow make it fit seamlessly into place is a joy to behold. My family booked this for a Fathers Day present; A great gift with happy memories!

Russell Green provisional dry stone waller!

John's passion for dry stone walling is infectious and I found him to be a patient and effective teacher. I feel confident that this course has given me a strong foundation to begin my own wall and learn more as I go.

A very enjoyable course and John is an excellent tutor. Very informative, everything was explained and the practical aspect means there are no excuses when it comes to building my first wall.

A very satisfying day that has Inspired me to build my own dry stone wall.
John balanced gentle guidance with huge enthusiasm. A lot of practical advice and encouragement. I left exhausted but with a great sense of achievement.

A very enjoyable experience. John Holt runs the day in a relaxed manner and imparts a surprising amount of knowledge as you learn by doing. John is enthusiastic and knowledgeable and gets the right balance between letting you get on with it and intervening when necessary. You end up having actually built some wall. which is very satisfying.

really good course and learnt a lot and enjoyed it. The only improvement is maybe better joing instructions e.g. bring drinks and food. I asked so I knew to bring those but some simple instructions would avoid any mistakes.

I felt inspired to just want to start building some dry stone wall. I would even go as far as saying I would be up for the possibility of becoming a dry stone wall craft worker if I change from gardening. John was easy going, very knowledgeable and I felt I didn't want to stop. Great day! Thank you