Building a future for Cotswold landscape (From Tewkesbury Admag)

Building a future for Cotswold landscape

FOR the fourth year running, the Cotswold Conservation Board is offering people the chance to learn a useful rural skill.

Between April and November this year, expert drystone wallers will be holding two-day courses to teach the art of building a traditional Cotswold drystone wall.

The training courses, run as part of a £1.4m Heritage Lottery Fund project Caring for the Cotswolds, appeal to beginners wanting to take up the craft, but they also offer those with a bit of walling know-how the chance to hone their skills.

John Tabor, who runs the Caring for the Cotswolds project, said: "Drystone walls are very much part of what makes the Cotswolds special, they are a key feature across the Cotswolds. There are at least 4,000 miles of drystone walls in the AONB - as long as the Great Wall of China. Sadly many of them are in a derelict state but it is hoped that our walling courses will encourage people to maintain and restore them for future generations."

The courses will be held at a range of locations across the Cotswolds between Long Compton and Ilmington in Warwickshire, across to Shipton-under-Wychwood in West Oxfordshire, through Broadway in Worcestershire, down to Crickley Hill near Gloucester.

The Cotswold Conservation Board works to conserve and enhance the natural beauty of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which is a protected landscape.

Another primary aim is to increase the understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of the AONB. In fulfilling these roles, the board must foster the economic and social well-being of local communities within the Cotswolds.

Full details of the courses are available on 01451 862000 or www.cotswoldaonb.org.uk