Building a Taste for the Past

People from the North East will be able to play their part in keeping the past alive at a series of heritage skills taster days taking place in July at Belsay Hall in Northumberland.

To help reduce the gap in heritage skills and to raise awareness about the need for skilled workers in the heritage sector across the region, English Heritage - in partnership with the North of England Civic Trust’s Heritage Skills Initiative - is holding a series of introductory courses in Dry Stone Walling. The courses will introduce people to the traditional techniques used to repair and rebuild dry stone walls and will be led by a registered instructor from the Dry Stone Walling Association. Courses will be taking place on 19 and 29 July, 7 and 23 August and 11 September and are open to complete beginners.

Earlier this month English Heritage launched its Heritage at Risk register, which showed that there are more than 120 Grade I and Grade II* listed buildings and structural monuments at risk in the North East.  If these heritage treasures are to be saved, it is crucial that the workforce repairing and maintaining them have the skills to do the job properly.

Ray Stockdale, English Heritage’s manager of works in the North East, said: "There has been a huge renewal of interest in careers in the heritage build sector in recent years, but there is still a serious shortage of skilled workers who possess knowledge of the traditional techniques needed to keep the North East's heritage safe.
 
"The skills we are teaching on these courses are needed not just to maintain the region's listed buildings, but the whole swathe of undesignated and locally important heritage and conservation areas that form an integral part of our historic environment. Some of the courses have been designed for complete beginners and I'd urge people to come along and find out how they can play their part in keeping the past alive."

Andie Harris, Heritage Skills Co-ordinator for the North of England Civic Trust, said: “The North East has a rich and diverse heritage and its future is literally in the hands of those who care for it. The huge burden of ongoing care and maintenance is dependant upon the skills and knowledge of the people who innately understand the materials and have the craftsmanship to undertake the necessary work to discover, maintain, care for and interpret our heritage.

“Through further funding from English Heritage and other partners, we’ve increased the programme for the North East Heritage Skills Initiative this year. This means that there are more opportunities than ever for people to come along to the taster days, lectures and other events we’re running and get involved in protecting our heritage.”

To book a place on the dry stone walling course, please contact the North of England Civic Trust’s Heritage Skills Initiative on 0191 232 9279 or email admin@nect.org.uk