Reviving an ancient craft in the Moorlands

Chris Sadler is pictured digging out the dry stone wall at Froghall.

VOLUNTEERS have been learning the traditional skills of drystone walling to help repair a route which could soon become a scheduled ancient monument.

The Cauldon Plateway was the forerunner of todays railways and would transport raw materials in horse-drawn trucks, guided by metal rails on the ground.

Now part of the old line by Froghall Wharf, in the Moorlands, is being used as the backdrop for training courses.

A group of volunteers spent two days there last week, digging out a stretch of the retaining wall along theroute and repairing its stonework.

The wall, which dates back to the 18th century, had become almost hidden under mounds of earth.

Waller and advanced craftsman Andrew Brown-Jackson demonstrated the techniques.

He said: We havent been allowed to use any stuff thats not of the same age.

Much of the material used for the retaining wall here is grit stone.

The drystone techniques were originally used thousands of years ago and the traditional approach has changed little since then.

Originally posted here:
Reviving an ancient craft in the Moorlands