Anyone here a dry s...
 

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[Closed] Anyone here a dry stone waller?

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Just wondered like 😉

Hopefuly going on a course in march/april and feel like it could form part of a career change (not naive enough to think it will be sustaining of our family life just yet!!)

Always see the same few round here and ALWAYS busy - what sort of money can you make?


 
Posted : 05/01/2011 6:51 pm
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I've rebuilt a large section of wall 4 years ago, which was destroyed by flood water from Lake Semerwater (nr Hawes, Yorkshire Dales). The farmer was pleased with our work and it hasn't fallen down yet (well, not as of last August), does that qualify me?. We had no idea what we were doing tho, but it blended in nicely with the rest of the Dales.


 
Posted : 05/01/2011 7:01 pm
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Did a bit as a farm labourer 20+ years ago.

Quals? - we're obsessed with the bloody things these days. It takes some brawn, some common sense and a good "feel" for the materials.

Strangely rewarding though........


 
Posted : 05/01/2011 7:06 pm
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Did a short (one day) course through the local agricultural college a couple of years back - very enjoyable and satisfying, also amazingly frustrating when the *right* stone just doesn't seem to exist! Haven't done any actual DSWing since apart from a pathetic attempt to build a small one round a friend's equally pathetic attempt at a small herb garden, but do enjoy getting my fix of stony jigsawing while trailbuilding at Gisburn Forest. In fact, we actually spend quite a bit of time demolishing old DSW's to recycle as trail material!


 
Posted : 05/01/2011 7:15 pm
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but do enjoy getting my fix of stony jigsawing while trailbuilding at Gisburn Forest.

Tony, That involves dismantling all the DSWs in Gisburn Forest IIRC 😉


 
Posted : 05/01/2011 7:20 pm
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This is a very successful project:

http://www.northumberlandnationalpark.org.uk/traditionalboundaries

It might also be worth checking the DSWA out:

http://www.dswa.org.uk/

One tonne of stone per metre - it will keep you fit.


 
Posted : 05/01/2011 7:30 pm
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Wasn't there a song a few years back?

"I wish I was a dry stone waller, I wish I was a baller..."


 
Posted : 05/01/2011 7:35 pm
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I wish i had Catchie, and a scutch, i would hammer.


 
Posted : 05/01/2011 7:45 pm
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Tony, That involves dismantling all the DSWs in Gisburn Forest IIRC 😉

Indeed it does Paul, although hopefully we're doing it in a suitably considerate fashion, honouring the efforts of those who erected them in the first place. As it happens, we've actually built part of the latest section along the course of an already collapsed wall which had been fully subsumed back into the terrain - ready-laid trail foundation! 🙂


 
Posted : 05/01/2011 7:49 pm
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Rob.

As you should know Si did a lot on the peaks for the NT.


 
Posted : 05/01/2011 9:54 pm