The Drystone Walling Association

The Dry Stone Walling Association (DSWA) is a charitable organisation committed to the preservation of dry stone walls throughout Great Britain and to the training of people in the craft of dry stone walling (drystone dyking in Scotland).

The DSWA works to improve knowledge and understanding of the craft. It produces a series of information leaflets, practical books on the craft and promotes walling competitions. There is also a national, graded, craft skills certification scheme and members all receive a lively magazine: the Waller & Dyker.

Drystone Walling courses

Local DSWA branches run training courses for people interested in learning how to build drystone walls. Training courses are run over a weekend, usually about four times a year, and are aimed at absolute beginners. Each course is very hands on, with nearly two full full days of practical work taking down and rebuilding a real wall, supplemented by some theory work. Each course is run by a working professional waller who is there help, guide and inspire. Otherwise, trainees are postively encouraged to roll up their sleeves and get stuck in.

If you are interested in courses that run in SE Scotland - Edinburgh, the Lothians and the Scottish Borders areas - contact Dave Taylor at the email address below.

Local branches

There are 19 branches in the UK offering organises practice days for branch members and training days for those looking to learn how to build dry stone walls. The SE Scotland branch covers an area from Linlithgow in the West; Dunbar in the East and to Peebles in the South.

Local branch contacts:

Dave Taylor, Branch secretary
E-mail: dykingdave@drystanes.demon.co.uk

National Office contact details:

DSWA Office
Address: Westmorland County Showground, Lane Farm, Crooklands, Milnthorpe, Cumbria, LA7 7NH
Tel: 01539 567953
Web site: www.dswa.org.uk.

Free estimates and consultations

We provide free estimates and initial consultations for all walling and landscaping work. If you are interested in redesigning your garden using natural stone, please contact us.

Balvenie Masters of Craft Awards

I am very pleased to announce that I was one of three people short-listed in the stone category for the inaugural Balvenie/Sunday Telegraph craftsman of the year 2011.

This new award aims to celebrate heritage and hand-built crafts over seven materials categories including stone, wood and glass. The judging panel was TV presenter and author, Kevin McCloud, Chairman of the Heritage Crafts Association, Robin Wood, expert crafts photographer, Nick Hand, Editor of The Sunday Telegraph Life, Anne Cuthbertson and the whisky industry's longest standing Malt Master, David Stewart

Further details of the winners are on the Balvenie web site