News
Our newsletters can be viewed here
31 December 2011
New for 2012 - discounts on group course bookings
The Guild are pleased to offer discounts on our Training Courses for group bookings. For more information, please visit our Group Bookings page
31 October 2011
Book your 2012 course place now!
We have just published our diary of Training Courses for 2012. Places are extremely limited, so book early to avoid disappointment! Click here for more information about our Training Courses.
If you're struggling for Christmas gift ideas, why not give someone a dry stone walling course? Click here for details
21 October 2011
Wonder Walls
Photographer Mariana Cook spoke with Radio 4's Today programme about her new book 'Stone Walls: Personal Boundaries'. A selection of photos from her book, along with those submitted by listeners, were featured on the Today programme's website
Click here to view Mariana's photos and click here to view the listener contributions
08 October 2011
Yorkshire Post walling article
Regular contributor to the Post's Country Week suppliment, waller Billy Topstone talks about his recent experiences in walling
Click here to read this article
22 August 2011
Yorkshire Post article
Regular contributor to the Post's Country Week suppliment, waller Billy Topstone talks about the downside of walling in the great outdoors
Click here to read this article
19 August 2011
Birks End project
'"The bridleway at Birks End needs a bit of sorting" was the brief from Ian Broadwith, Area Ranger for the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, to Dick Laidler, Dave Purvis and the Ragged Robins Conservation Group.
Off we trotted, expecting a few hours work and finishing with a liquid lunch at the local hostelry - how wrong we were. Arriving at the site, we were greeted with a scene that looked like an earthquake had just hit. It seems that the innocent-looking Birkside Beck transforms into a raging torrent each spring as the snow melts on the fells up stream, during which half ton blocks of stone are hurled at the banks of the the Beck like candyfloss. This job - which ended up taking several weeks to complete - we hope will stand the test of time, though we can't help but wonder just how long until we're called back to the site…'
Dave Purvis
Click the thumbnails below to view full sized versions. Click here to view the full image set in the Gallery
30 July 2011
New material in the Gallery
We have uploaded some new items to the Gallery showcasing some recent events our members have been involved in. Click here to visit the Gallery
30 July 2011
Great Yorkshire Show 2011
Our project for this year's GYS build was a commission from the Yorkshire Agricultural Society to construct a memorial seat. This was to be located at a very busy and prominent location on the Showground, on an embankment next to the entrance of Exhibition Hall 2.
The seat was to be orientated to enjoy the panoramic view over the Crimple Valley and is being dedicated later this year in the memory of the late Richard Howard-Vyse, a past President and Chairman of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society.
The challenge was to complete the build over the three days with minimum disruption to the crowds, which turned out to be the highest attendance on record. We spent a day digging out the site, sorting and grading the stone before delivery, and a stirling effort by one member to pre-cut the topping stones in advance of the show paid dividends to ensure a successful build. A different team each day worked long and hard to achieve a very stunning result - well done to all involved.
Click the thumbnails below to view full sized versions. Click here to view the full image set in the Gallery
20 March 2011
A weekend with YDSWG
One of the students who particpated in last year's Fountains Abbey project was Andrew Geekie - a visitor from Ontario, Canada. Having had a taste of dry stone walling back in Ontario he was keen to get some more experience under his belt and found that the Guild's regular Training Courses throughout the summer fitted in nicely with his trip to the UK. He has written about his experiences of our Training Courses which you can read here
Photos and videos from the Fountains Abbey project are available to view in the Gallery, and you can find out more information about our Training Courses here
18 February 2011
Smart move to save our walls
The Yorkshire Post has published a short article on the diminishing number of dry stone walls, and efforts to ensure those who try to destroy our regional heritage for their own benefit don't get away so easily. To read this article, click here
26 November 2010
Gloves on for a soggy awayday in the suburbs
The Yorkshire Post has published an article about stone walling - "Traditional dry stonewaller Billy Topstone explains the art of mud wrestling with 'through stones'". To read this article, click here
31 March 2010
A less than idyllic day in the life of a stone waller
The Yorkshire Post has published an article about stone walling, following stone waller Billy Topstone for a day. To read this article, click here
23 May 2009
Dales Volunteers bridge that gap
Guild members and Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA) Volunteers Richard Laidler and Dave Purvis find themselves in the spotlight as the Yorkshire Post (20 May 2009) publish an article about the YDNPA Volunteer's recent efforts in Swaledale.
The article can be read here
