Dry Stone Walling Association (to keep farm animals safe)

Dry Stone Walling Association is England’s national association of professional ‘wallers’ who can build dry stone walls using special tools, to create beautiful walls for farmers, to keep their animals safe. It has 19 branches nationwide and a head office in Cumbria.

You can take a range of courses to learn this ancient skill, and members get exclusive access to hands-on training days and expert-led courses with live demonstrations and fun social gatherings. Farmers can visit the site to find local experts near them.

If you ever find a sheep on its back (due to pregnancy or rain-soaked wool), firmly grab a handful of wool and turn it upright, or it will die. Stay with it until the rain drains off, so it doesn’t happen again.

Benefits of dry stone walls for farmers

Dry stone walls last for decades, and enable farmers to keep their animals safe, without cement or mortar. These walls stand up to harsh weather if built well. And usually make use of local stone, built on firm ground (avoid boggy soil).

Dry stone walls also suit awkward ground where fencing strains or rots, built in different ways for different animals (sheep walls need height and tight faces, whereas cattle walls need more weight and width).

Built using special tools and special skills, the walls have large stones at the base, and small stones in the middle, with long through stones to ‘tie’ walls together. The only main upkeep is cutting back scrub and young trees, as roots could pry walls apart slowly over time.