2 Day Beginners Training Course in Dry Stone Walling
We hope to run 5 beginners training courses in dry stone walling between April and October 2020.
Dates will be added as soon as they are agreed, but you can register your interest now or purchase a course as a gift.
What you will learn
You will learn to dismantle and rebuild a section of old or damaged wall over two days. Our qualified instructors will teach you:
Health & Safety – How to stay safe when working with stone
Stripping out & sorting stone – How to dismantle and lay out stone safely and efficiently
Laying foundations – How to prepare and lay strong foundations for your wall
Setting bars & lines – How to ensure your wall runs straight
First lift & hearting – How to select and lay stones and the importance of hearting
Through-stones – How to tie your wall together with through-stones
Second Lift – How to build and level to full height
Cover bands & Cope Stones – How to finish off your wall with cover bands and cope stones
What we provide
All the equipment required to build a wall
Expert tuition
A copy of ‘Drystone Walling, Techniques and Traditions’ for you to take away!
What you’ll need to bring
Warm old clothing
Waterproof jacket and trousers. While we hope for good weather, we prepare for the worst.
Stout shoes or boots, preferably with steel toe caps. If you are wearing wellies then they must have toe protection.
Sturdy robust gloves. We recommend getting a pair of builders gloves like these. (Similar gloves are available from other DIY and tool suppliers).
Safety glasses/goggles. There will be safety goggles available, but if you have a pair, bring them along.
Tea/Coffee/Water. It’s thirsty work and we’ll stop for regular breaks.
Packed Lunch. Walling requires a lot of physical energy so we recommend bringing plenty of food and snacks to keep you going through the day. We do offer soup & sandwiches at some of our events but some locations are too remote to provide this. When booking your course, check to see if you need to bring your own lunch.
Who can do it
We encourage everyone to give our training course a try, but due to the nature of working with heavy stone, the training course is only for people over the age of 16. If you have any questions about whether this would be suitable for you, please feel free to get in touch and we can advise accordingly.
What it costs
The course costs £95 per person, starting at 9am and finishing at 4pm on both days.
Booking and Payment
Simply fill in our enquiry form here, making sure to enter your full name, address and a contact telephone number before selecting which event you wish to attend.
Once submitted, one of our members will be in touch to confirm your booking and provide you with a form which you will need to print and sign before returning to us with your payment via cheque.
Cheques are payable to “DSWA – Central Scotland Branch”. Unfortunately we are not able to take card payments.
We also accept payments by bank transfer. Just ask for the details.
Your payment will book your place on the course. In the event that you need to cancel, please provide at least 24 hours notice and we will be happy to provide a full refund.
Buying as a gift
If you would like to purchase one of our courses as a gift for someone, please tick the “Purchasing as a gift” box on the application form.