Dry Stone Walling Association Lancashire Branch reviews

Eddie Taplin reviewed: Two day dry stone walling course for beginners in association with Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain

"Thank you to all the team on this great 2 day beginners course . I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend to anyone, especially those who like working outdoors to give it a go. Good group of people to work alongside was a bonus. Thanks guys "

Martina reviewed: Two day dry stone walling course for beginners in association with Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain

"A great two day course which I thoroughly enjoyed. The Lancashire group ( Paul, Chris and team) were friendly, knowledgeable and enthusiastic!"

Tony Nicholson reviewed: Two day dry stone walling course for beginners in association with Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain

"The knowledge and passion for walling from Paul, Chris and the other instructors was infectious- even when the weather wasn’t the best on the first day! They were more than helpful with all our questions and ensured we all had a fabulous weekend, learning the basics of walling in a beautiful environment. I would recommend this introductory course to anyone interested in starting out."

Nick Martin reviewed: Two day dry stone walling course for beginners in association with Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain

"Great course. Learned a lot and the team were informative and helpful. We learned all of the basics and the course has really helped. The team were fun and I had a fantastic time. Thank you all"

Eline reviewed: Two day dry stone walling course for beginners in association with Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain

"I thoroughly enjoyed this course. The Lancashire group is very friendly and so knowledgeable. They are clearly passionate in teaching their craft and do so in a non-judgmental way. The day was well structured with a short theory on dry stone walling and a couple of hours practice either side of a lunch break. We managed to rebuild a decent section of wall in two short days so felt a good sense of achievement, and it's for a good cause. We also had a good laugh! I was hooked from the start and joined the association for more practice."

Dry Stone Walling Association Lancashire Branch responded:

"Eline. So glad you enjoyed yourself, we aim to please. The wall you built is part of a 10 year programme, rebuilding the walls on Crompton Moor. Hope to see you soon at one of our practice meetings, in Saddleworth or Cumbria. All the best, Paul, Chairman of DSWA"

Marc Hoche reviewed: Two day dry stone walling course for beginners in association with Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain

"A great two day course which I thoroughly enjoyed. Covered all the technical aspects of Dry Stone Walling and the instructors/volunteers were fantastic. A real sense of achievement gained through taking a section of wall that was in a state of disrepair back to soil and rebuilding from the foundations up with the knowledge that it would be there for another 100 years!!"

Helen Calderbank reviewed: Two day dry stone walling course for beginners in association with Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain

"We did the 2 day beginners weekend course and loved it! The instructors and volunteers are so welcoming and clearly love what they do and share this passion with the people on the course. They clearly explained the skills needed as we took down & re- built a wall in need of some work. You feel great satisfaction at the end when you stand back and see your handiwork. I feel confident I could do some small repairs on a dry stone wall I have in need of repair. If you have wondered whether to do something like this, I would definitely recommend this course "

Betty reviewed: Two day dry stone walling course for beginners in association with Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain

"The instructors were friendly and informative. They had tremendous patience and were very empathetic with my lack of knowledge. I learned a lot and now in awe of the thousands of hours that must have been put in to our British heritage of dry stone walling. Hats off- total respect! I can't go past a wall now and not compare it to what I now know."

Dry Stone Walling Association Lancashire Branch responded:

"Betty Thank you, the pleasure was all ours. You all delivered a wonderful wall, constructed correctly that should last longer than its predecessor. The Beauty of this location, is, you can take your whole family to show them what you have built. Paul"

Adele and Reuben Beaumont reviewed: Two day dry stone walling course for beginners in association with Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain

"Booked this for my 17 year old son and he loved it. The people were really friendly, would highly recommend. "

Dry Stone Walling Association Lancashire Branch responded:

"Adele, So glad Reuben enjoyed the course, and if he wishes to expand his career in dry stone walling let me know. Paul Clayton Chairman of DSWA "

Lee Bamber reviewed: Two day dry stone walling course for beginners in association with Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain

"Had a great time with Paul and the team. Gained lots of knowledge, highly recommend."

Dry Stone Walling Association Lancashire Branch responded:

"Lee Many thanks, keep in touch, and we will try n advise on your future projects in dry stone walling Paul"

Sue Graham reviewed: Two day dry stone walling course for beginners in association with Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain

"Having signed up for our 2 day workshop with Lancashire DSWA, we were excited to learn this new skill. Everyone was so welcoming and from the moment we started, throughout the 2 days, there was always an expert there to give advice and encouragement, when it was needed. The tuition was excellent, and as we began the physical "hands on" stage, we were instructed on how to keep ourselves and others safe when lifting heavy stones and using the tools. We began the day by taking down the wall that needed repairing and learnt how to sort and lay out the stone. Next we learnt how to calculate the dimensions of the finished wall and set up a framework to guide us. We then laid the foundations and gradually, layer upon layer we built the wall back up. Everyone was so friendly, and the sense of acheivement we felt when we surveyed our finished wall was immense. We enrolled on this weekend to find out whether we could take on the challenge of rebuilding a dry stone wall that had fallen into disrepair, and with the encouragement and expert teaching we have received, it has given us the confidence to give it a go! Thankyou to all the experts in the Lancashire DSWA for making our weekend so enjoyable. "

Dry Stone Walling Association Lancashire Branch responded:

"Sue & Mal Thank you, so please you enjoyed it, and delight you have become members of your local branch. of the twelve that attended six have become members. All the best in your endeavours, in rebuilding your own wall Take Care Paul n Chris "

Sarah reviewed: Two day dry stone walling course for beginners in association with Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain

"I bought 2 places on the course for my partner for his 40th birthday and for my brother in law for his 40th too and they both loved it. They said the course was delivered by very knowledgeable people and they learned a lot from them. Although they both said it was tough work, they would have gone again on the Monday if they could! All in all a great course! "

Dry Stone Walling Association Lancashire Branch responded:

"Sarah We are so please that they both enjoyed the two day course, it was a joy to spend two days with them. all the Best Paul n Chris"

Malcolm Graham reviewed: Two day dry stone walling course for beginners in association with Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain

"Very well run and enjoyable instruction / participation course from DSWA Lancashire Branch. Paul and Chris provided excellent information and support before and during the course, with support from a number of volunteers over the two days- thanks to Paul, Gill, Bev, Cathy and Lee. Tearing down the 210 year old millstone grit wall under instruction gave a good view of how the original had been constructed and where failures had occurred. Consideration of how the stones were sorted, laid down and managed was a key area that would not be obvious if you were working alone; that and the careful method of assessing the placement of stones during the build are key areas of the craft. Equipment and safety procedures were well covered and the group was generally very careful throughout the build. There was a great feeling of value when we could look back at the section of wall that we had constructed following the DSWA rules. I have to thank everyone present for the convivial and supportive environment which led to success. I shall be joining DSWA now and looking for practice meets in Wiltshire area."

Dry Stone Walling Association Lancashire Branch responded:

"Malcolm thank you very much for your review, it was a delight to wall along side you both. we tried something different this time, and it worked. if you any further advice on your project, im sure the Local Branch will be will to assist. all the Best Paul n Chris "

Jonathan Tapp reviewed: Two day dry stone walling course for beginners in association with Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain

"This was very informative and enjoyable. I came away knowing I had understood the basic principles involved, and with the satisfaction of helping to build a lasting section of wall. The tutors and volunteers were friendly and professional, and inspired confidence and ownership of the process. Highly recommended either as a one-off to gain an understanding and experience of the process, or as a first step to becoming more involved in the craft."

Trish Beck reviewed: Two day dry stone walling course for beginners in association with Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain

"Excellent two-day course, professionally run by DWSA. Expert instruction by Paul, Carl and Paul! Great banter, hard work but a fun time. I highly recommend this course. "

Chris Little reviewed: Two day dry stone walling course for beginners in association with Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain

"Lovely people, all very helpful and knowledgable. I highly recommend this. "

Sophie Cook reviewed: Two day dry stone walling course for beginners in association with Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain

"This was a birthday present from my husband who was fed up with hearing me saying I'd like to have a go at dry stone walling and not doing anything about it. We took down the remains of a wall, prepared foundations and rebuilt it in two days. It looks great and I had such a good time doing it. We had expert instruction with good banter so the time flew. I can't say that I wasn't stiff after day one but there is no pressure to do more than you feel safe doing and the safety of the participants is always uppermost. Thank you so much for a really enjoyable and informative taster that has left me with a great sense of achievement."

Eric Garwood reviewed: Two day dry stone walling course for beginners in association with Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain

"Brilliant course enjoyed both days, learnt a lot about building dry stone walls including the history. All the team and other participants worked well together particularly as due to a back injury some years ago I was limited to the amount I was able to contribute which was disappointing from a personal point of view. I would recommend this course to anyone interested in the countryside and keeping old skills alive."

Gareth Evans-McClave reviewed: Two day dry stone walling course for beginners in association with Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain

"Very well organised and informative. The trainers took the time to ensure everybody understood the process and had a real hands-on session"

clyde brown reviewed: Two day dry stone walling course for beginners in association with Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain

"Very enjoyable. Paul, Chris and the other instructors were great. Good graft and a great group which made the weekend. Would 100% recommend"

Dry Stone Walling Association Lancashire Branch responded:

"Clyde & Chantelle Many thanks for you kind words Paul"

Mark Halton reviewed: Two day dry stone walling course for beginners in association with Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain

"This was an extremely enjoyable, if tiring!, two days. The instructors were really helpful and clearly expert at their craft. We were blessed with lovely weather and the sense of achievement at the end was fantastic. I would wholeheartedly recommend it."

James reviewed: Two day dry stone walling course for beginners in association with Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain

"I thoroughly enjoyed the two day course ran by the DWSA Lancashire branch and recommend it to anyone even vaguely interested in dry stone walling. The team of instructors are very knowledgeable in walling and are happy to it share with the group. They are genuinely interested in getting to know everyone and encouraged general chit-chat. You are shown how to deconstruct and rebuild the wall with clear diagrams and explanations of how to go about it. There is always an instructor at hand to go over anything along the way in case you get stuck - which everyone does at some point. Going into this as absolute beginner, I left knowing more about walling and the local history, and an appreciation for an often overlooked feature. Believe it or not, the best part was at the end when you step back with satisfaction, seeing your wall segment rebuilt. There's no way of avoiding it, the course is physical one. You are moving stone continuously throughout the two days, but that shouldn't put you off because regular breaks are encouraged."

Michael Brown reviewed: Two day dry stone walling course for beginners in association with Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain

"My son and I attended a brilliant weekend course in Diggle with the Lancashire Branch. Really good instruction on the theory and practice, and really well structured over the 2 days. It's really good fun and surprisingly addictive; you'll be amazed at how quickly the day passes and it was pretty common at break or lunch-time to find people still working 'looking for that one perfect sized piece of stone'. Definitely recommend."

Julie Russell reviewed: Two day dry stone walling course for beginners in association with Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain

"Excellent two-day course giving a good mix of theory and practical with lots of advice thrown in by the enthusiastic team. Really nice to create a real wall, not one that will be taken down by the next cohort."

Brian Lodge reviewed: Two day dry stone walling course for beginners in association with Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain

"This was a great course and very professionally run by the DWSA, excellent Health & Safety and all Covid protocols observed. We all had a great time and were carefully guided through learning the skills of wall building in small teams with volunteer experts to keep us on the straight and narrow .The satisfaction of completing a stretch of dey stone wall that will probably last over 100 years is hard to capture in words .The organisation and instruction was first class and the venue of Ridge Farm at Diggle was fantastic .You do need to be reasonably fit as there is a lot of lifting and bending but well worth the effort .Highly recommended."