Construction trade targets women

Emma Price is a successful dry stone waller based in the Cotswolds

Industry training organisation ConstructionSkills has launched a major advertising campaign to encourage young women to enter the building trade.

It says they are being put off traditionally male-dominated jobs because of poor careers advice.

In separate research last year, carried out jointly with English Heritage, the group found a severe shortage of small scale craft skills.

There is even a suggestion that in 15 to 20 years a number of skills such as dry stone walling, thatching and flint knapping could completely die out.

The report looked at the number of skilled craftsmen working in the historic buildings sector.

It found over 86,000 people were employed within the industry.

These included less specialised workers such as bricklayers, carpenters and roofers.

In total the industry helped to look after nearly 4.5m historic buildings and 550,000 historic commercial buildings, including 484,641 listed buildings.

Passing on skills

The survey warns that an additional 6,500 people are needed just to meet current demand.

In some parts of the country the shortage is so extreme that customers have had to wait at least three months for skilled craftsmen, sometimes putting buildings at risk.

Emma Price, 33, is a dry stone waller based in the Cotswolds and living in Cheltenham.

She began learning the trade in early 2005 when a friend initially took her on as a labourer.

"I gradually learnt the skills on the job, had extra lessons at the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester and then branched out on my own," says Emma.

She was contracted for a job by the building company Archstone Lifestyle Homes and recently completed a 180m boundary wall in Cirencester.

"I like being outdoors and getting a chance to leave my mark on the countryside," adds Emma.

False economy

Although some skilled crafts can be well paid, Emma has found that she often earns less than a bricklayer.

This is largely to do with the difference in the time it takes to construct any commission.

Both trades get paid by the metre but many more bricks can be laid in a day than stones in a dry stone wall.

North-east England has dry stone walls spanning thousands of miles

In England there are currently only about 270 professional members of the Dry Stone Walling Association, less than 1,000 thatchers and around 50 companies who work on cob and earth buildings.

"There are some bodies who are helping to address the problem," says Emma.

"I studied for my National Rural Qualification at the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester.

"The course was funded by LANTRA (the National Training Organization for the Land Based Industries) in connection with the efforts to rebuild the Cotswold Waterways," adds Emma.

Unfortunately, although there are many thousands of miles of walling in disrepair across Britain, it is not always the case that landowners or the government want to go to the expense of maintaining them.

Many will prefer to put up a cheap alternative to a dry stone wall such as a barbed wire fence.

Owners often argue that unless the wall is keeping livestock in there is no urgency to rebuild a proper dry stone wall.

Dry stone cowboys

One of the more unfortunate aspects of the decline in the numbers of skilled dry stone wallers is a proliferation of contracts undertaken by workers who have no real interest in the long term quality of the wall.

These workers often have no skills or training and build walls to an extremely low standard.

My walls will still be here after I am dead and buried Dry stone waller Emma Price

"To the untrained eye most dry stone walls look very pretty and people are always happy to see them," says Emma.

"But the variation in quality is extremely wide.

"My walls will still be here after I am dead and buried - at least 60 or 70 years - and that takes a lot of labour and hours of work.

"Some building companies are paying unskilled workers to put up walls in a short space of time which may look perfectly fine but are likely to begin to unravel after just a few years.

"I find it upsetting because it reflects badly on the industry as a whole and particularly on those who take pride in their work.

"One of the underlying reasons for this practice seems to be a rule that after two years of completing on site the building company hands over responsibilty for the works to insurance companies.

"Therefore as long as a dry stone wall stays up for at least two years the building firm can then wash their hands of it after that date," adds Emma.

Tough trade

Emma is one of around 20 dry stone wallers in the Cotswolds and one of only two women dry stone wallers in the area.

Although Emma is happy to encourage other women to take up drystone walling she does caution that it is extremely physical work and that anybody, male or female, considering it as a career must be reasonably fit.

Emma Price is one of only two women wallers in the Cotswolds

For anybody considering drystone walling either as a career or as a hobby there are a number of one day courses that are available around the country.

"It's a good idea to try it for a day and see if you're suited to it," says Emma.

"Above all try it in the rain before you commit to a career, that tends to separate the men from the boys!," she adds.

Qualifying process

There are various ways to register professionally as a dry stone waller.

Bodies such as the Dry Stone Walling Association and the Guild of Master Craftsmen offer accreditation.

"The best approach is to do an all round course such as a National Rural Qualification at the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester.

"After you've worked for a while you can then get accredited by the Guild of Master Craftsmen.

"You need to complete five different jobs, take photos of the work and get references from customers.

"The Guild will then assess whether you are of a standard to become a member.

"At the end of the day, dry stone walling is hard work and you have to be prepared to work in all weathers.

"But there's a tremendous amount of satisfaction when the job's done and you really feel that you're contributing to the upkeep of the countryside," adds Emma.