Workshop to detail stone work

EVER been curious about how dry-stone walls are constructed?

Members of the Leigh and District Landcare Group are aiming to showcase the craft with a workshop from dry-stone waller David Long.

Taking place at Barunah Park on Saturday, 15 October, Mr Long said his visit will entail practical and informative tips.

“I’ll take people step-by-step through the theory of building a wall, how it’s constructed and the way you place the stone,” he said.

“There will be a segment where we’ll go out into the field and hopefully put a little section of wall out there back together again.

“With repairs, quite often there’s a dismantling of some of the work because you have to go down to the foundation stone to get to the gap and reset it.”

Mr Long built Inverleigh’s entrance signs, and was part of the first Australian team to win Best in Show at the 2013 Chelsea Flower Show in the United Kingdom.

He said he hopes attendees will walk away from the workshop with a greater knowledge and a basic idea of what goes into his craft.

“It won’t be a big repair but I think people will get an understanding about what they see when you look at a dry stone wall and what goes into the makeup and construction of it,” he said.

“Most people have an appreciation of the aesthetics and they’re agog at how they’re still standing and how it happens.

“But it takes a long time to get a grasp on this work even though the rules are there in theory, like any hands-on work.”