The Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain is a charitable organisation formed over 40 years ago to promote the craft of dry stone walling. The Derbyshire branch was established in 1982 and seeks to ensure that the best craftsmanship of the past is both preserved, and has a thriving future, by improving knowledge and understanding of this important part of Derbyshire's heritage. The Derbyshire branch also includes members in the neighbouring counties of South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire and Staffordshire.

We run a comprehensive training programme of dry stone walling courses for members of the public with little or no experience to 'have a go' at dry stone walling. Weekend courses run every month from March to November.

For our members, we organise practice weekends to improve skill levels through evaluation by a qualified instructor. Different sites are used to gain experience on the different stone types native to Derbyshire.

Our members regularly demonstrate the craft of walling at country shows throughout the region.

Click here for details of how to join the DSWA.

Click here for details of dry stone walling courses for beginners

Click here for details of practice weekends for members

Click here for details of dry stone walling demonstrations in 2012.

Meetings of the Derbyshire branch of the DSWA are held at 8pm on the third Monday of every month - all DSWA members are welcome to attend. The next meeting is at 8pm on Monday the 20th of February and is at: The Greyhound Hotel, Market Place, Cromford, DE4 3QE, 01629 822551.

Click here to download a brief history of dry stone walls in Derbyshire