Two day dry stone walling course at Pensychnant near Conwy, North Wales

N. Jones reviewed: Two day dry stone walling course at Freshfields Animal Rescue Centre Nebo North Wales

"Barney our instructor was fantastic; he was patient, instructive and enthusiastic, his depth of knowledge reflected the years of learning and fine tuning a skill. This was a dream weekend, I loved every minute of it. (Thanks very much) Diolch yn fawr Barney"

Dry Stone Walling Association North Wales Branch responded:

"Thanks for this Nevil. Barney is very good and has fairly recently qualified as a Master Craftsman. If you wish to take it further and join the Dry Stone Walling Association, you can attend our courses for free. Regards Paul"

Chris Fletcher reviewed: Two day dry stone walling course at Freshfields Animal Rescue Centre Nebo North Wales

"The 2 days was brilliant, hardwork but really rewarding. The teacher was fantastic very knowledgeable and also very approachable. The venue was very good too. I want to learn more and can't wait."

Dry Stone Walling Association North Wales Branch responded:

"Thanks Chris. Barney is very good and has fairly recently qualified as a Master Craftsman. If you wish to take it further and join the Dry Stone Walling Association, you can attend our courses for free. Regards Paul"

Amanda Horrocks reviewed: Two day dry stone walling course at Rhyd y Creuau Field Studies Centre, near Betws y Coed in North WalesTaster

"Really enjoyed this course, great instruction, friendly gang, great food. Thank you very much. "

Dry Stone Walling Association North Wales Branch responded:

"Thanks Amanda. Rhyd y Creuau is a lovely place to hold a course and Colin is very good. Regards Paul"

Chris Smith reviewed: Two day dry stone walling course at Freshfields Animal Rescue Centre Nebo North Wales

"Fantastic course with Barney Murray! Under his expert guidance we learnt as a small group by doing - demolishing an old wall then rebuilding it, stronger and tidier than before. We were all really impressed by our handywork at the end! Thanks to the venue Freshfields Animal Rescue also for hosting us at Nebo."

Dry Stone Walling Association North Wales Branch responded:

"Thanks Chris. Barney is the newest of our three instructors and is very good. Freshfields is a good venue as it has that rest room for breaks. Regards Paul"

Alex squires reviewed: Two day dry stone walling course at Freshfields Animal Rescue Centre Nebo North Wales

"Great experience dry stone walling with Barney for an absolute beginner. He was patient and would explain aspects until you got them. Well worth the money. Might try to gap a few walls next time when I. Suitable areas. Great team effort too. Really proud of our wall. 5 stars"

Dry Stone Walling Association North Wales Branch responded:

"Thanks Alex. I will pass your review onto Barney. "

Steve Wooding reviewed: Two day dry stone walling course at Freshfields Animal Rescue Centre Nebo North Wales

"Just completed the 2 day Dry Stone Walling course at Freshfields. Barney our instructor was excellent and the course both fun and instructive. Really great to get hands on experience under Barney's expert guidance. We have some walls that are in need of repair and now feel we have the confidence to tackle them even as beginners. Thank you ! Steve and Prue "

Dry Stone Walling Association North Wales Branch responded:

"Dear Steve & Prue, Glad you enjoyed the course and found it useful. Barney is very good and has fairly recently become a master craftsman. Regards Paul "

Bernie and Carol reviewed: Two day dry stone walling course at Rhyd y Creuau Field Studies Centre near Betws y Coed in North WalesTaster

"At FSC Rhyd-y-creuau near Betws-y-Coed, repairing a drystone wall and learning how to take down it down and build it up again from the foundations. Big thanks to the tutors from the Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain, Paul Smyth and Colin Brown. Two days of moving stones in high temperatures and we're exhausted and really happy with what we achieved as part of this small team. Hopefully the basic skills we've learnt will come in handy should we need wall repairs in the future."

Dry Stone Walling Association North Wales Branch responded:

"Thanks Carol and Bernie. It was a great weekend and thanks for your company. So glad Colin chose that shaded spot in all that heat."

Lee Draper reviewed: Two day dry stone walling course at Pensychnant, near Conwy North Wales.

"Great course. Therapeutic, technical, hard graft, sense of achievement and bonding. Iolo, Paul and Julian were brilliant. Pensychnant Conservation Centre Is great place and will be taking the family soon to support the charity’s cause. "

Dry Stone Walling Association North Wales Branch responded:

"Thanks Lee. It was a great weekend and we were very impressed with you. You were well up for it. Regards Paul "

Pádraig, Anglesey reviewed: Dry stone walling course at Rhyd y Creuau Field Studies Centre near Betws y Coed

"Thoroughly enjoyable course! Met some interesting, fun people and made an interesting start in Dry Stone Walling. Colin the instructor was on hand to explain what we were doing and to offer advice as we went along so we had a good understanding of what we were trying to achieve - super value, enjoyable course you won't regret doing!"

René Stevens reviewed: Two day dry stone walling course at Pensychnant, near Conwy North Wales

"A sound investment for hands-on training (re)building a dry stone wall."

Dry Stone Walling Association North Wales Branch responded:

"Thanks Rene. "

Dawn Davies reviewed: Two day dry stone walling course at Freshfields Animal Rescue Centre Nebo North Wales

"Fantastic course. In the 2 days we removed a section of wall that needed repair and rebuilt from the foundation up. Excellent instruction and worked at a steady pace. Some of the stones were very heavy but with the instructor’s muscle power we managed to get them in place. Felt great to admire all the work we had done . Great group of people on the course."

Dry Stone Walling Association North Wales Branch responded:

"Thanks for this Dawn. It was a very good section of wall and great working with nice people. I really enjoy these courses and meeting the people. Regards Paul "

Oliver reviewed: Two day dry stone walling course at Pensychnant, near Conwy North Wales

"Fantastic experience learning how to build a drystone wall with an experienced instructor. The wall we dismantled and rebuilt is part of a conservation centre, and is used to keep sheep in/out to ensure they graze sustainably. We learnt the ins and outs of dry stone walling, with a practical approach to learning, and plenty of opportunities to make and then learn from mistakes."

Timothy Evans reviewed: Two day dry stone walling course at Rhyd y Creuau Field Studies Centre near Betws y Coed, North Wales

"Fantastic. Very informative but yet a relaxed atmosphere"

Dry Stone Walling Association North Wales Branch responded:

"Thanks Timothy. I’m glad you met up with them eventually. Colin is a nice fella and good with trainees. I was not able to make it - I was on holiday. Regards Paul "

Dr. Vince Leonard reviewed: Two day dry stone walling course at Pensychnant, near Conwy North Wales

"An excellent course in a beautiful location with an outstanding instructor in Iolo. Although physically demanding and challenging in very hot weather, because it was led by an expert, who worked harder than anyone else, it was stimulating and rewarding. I highly recommend the course and wish I had done it forty years ago! It is nice to think that we have contributed a little something positive to the Welsh landscape. Please sign up for a course and keep these important craft skills alive. Thank you for the experience, even the bruises. "

Dry Stone Walling Association North Wales Branch responded:

"What a lovely review Vince. I gave this on to Iolo. The boulders at Pensychnant are really brutal but they enable a wall to be built quickly because of their size. Regards Paul "

Howard B reviewed: Two day dry stone walling course at Rhyd y Creuau Field Studies Centre near Betws y Coed, North Wales

"Great Course run by Colin the Instructor and my fellow course members. Good location with toilets and catering at the Field Studies Centre! Interesting and fun! Enjoyed the flap jacks! Thanks H"

Dry Stone Walling Association North Wales Branch responded:

"Thanks Howard. I wish I could have been there but I was away. Regards Paul"

Ingvild Engvik reviewed: Two day dry stone walling course at Pensychnant, near Conwy North Wales

"I really enjoyed my two days at the dry stone walling course, and learned a lot. Beautiful surroundings and welcoming hosts. Iolo was patient with us, and it was very cool to see the wall finished. "

Dry Stone Walling Association North Wales Branch responded:

"Thanks Ingvild. It was a very good course despite the weather on Saturday and the mud. The wall looks very good and when the whole length of all the previous courses is viewed as well it is very impressive. Regards Paul"