Weekend Practice Meetings For Members - 2021 dates
Practice Dates - 2021 - Dates, Locations & Instructors may be subject to change
Covid-19
We are following Government guidelines and have procedures in place to ensure that our attendees are safe as possible.
Our instructors are taking a Covid test ahead of the courses.
We would like to request that, where possible, you take a Covid test prior to attending our courses.
This will protect yourself, others around you and our instructors.
Many thanks for your cooperation.
Update 18 August - Directions to New House Farm below.
| 2021 Schedule | Status | Location | Stone Type | Instructor(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 21st & 22nd | CANCELLED | Westwood Farm | Gritstone | Emma Yates |
| March 21st & 22nd | CANCELLED | High Ashes Farm | Gritstone | Ray Mellor |
| April 25th & 26th | CANCELLED | Mulino Lodge | Limestone | Steve Hibbert |
| May 23rd & 24th | CANCELLED | Mulino Lodge | Limestone | Steve Hibbert |
| June 27th & 28th | CANCELLED | New House Farm, Stanton | Single Wall | Trevor Wragg |
| July 24th & 25th | CANCELLED | Wellpaca Woods, Winster | Emma Yates | |
| August 21st & 22nd | COMPLETED | New House Farm, Stanton | Single Wall | Trevor Wragg |
| September 11th & 12th | AVAILABLE | Westwood Farm, Ashover | Gritstone | Emma Yates |
| October 30th & 31st | AVAILABLE | High Ashes Farm | Gritstone | Ray Mellor |
| November 2021 | TBC | |||
| December 2021 | No Meeting This Month |
How To Book
Practice meetings are for DSWA members only. Attendees under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
All members wishing to attend a practice weekend must pre-book a week in advance, where possible, by contacting the appropriate instructor directly as follows - Emma Yates (07966 666463), Ray Mellor (07904 883902), Trevor Wragg (07702 925309) or Carl Hardman (07768 978846). Please make sure the instructor has noted your mobile number. There is no charge for members to attend practice weekends.
If you book a place and then cannot attend, please phone the instructor.
If the instructor needs to cancel the event, they will notify the members that have indicated they will attend via their mobile numbers.
What To Bring
The start and finish times are the same for all meetings, 9am to 4pm. You will need to bring with you safety boots with steel toe caps (mandatory), gloves, waterproofs, packed lunch, drink and a smile. Click here for recommended glove types.
If you have any additional equipment of your own such as a shovel, mattock, walling hammer, lines, tape measure etc and it is convenient to bring these with you, then please do so. The instructor will check the suitability of any tools brought to site.
How to get there
Wherever possible, DDSWA signs or flags will be placed to indicate where to turn into the site.
Bushey Heath Farm is on Tideswell Moor. Look out for the DSWA sign. Postcode is SK17 8JE. The stone here is Limestone. http://busheyheathfarm.com/
High Ashes Farm - High Ashes Lane, Ashover, Chesterfield, S45 0LH
Mulino Lodge is on Agnes Meadow Lane, Kniveton. Look out for the DSWA signs at the turn off Kniveton Lane. Postcode is DE6 1JR. The stone here is Limestone. http://www.mulinopods.co.uk/
New Buildings Farm Taylor's Lane, Ashleyhay, Wirksworth, DE4 4AH, OS Map 119/296518 and White Peak sheet. The stone here is Gritstone. http://www.newbuildings.co.uk/
New House Farm - Stanton, Ashbourne, DE6 2DD
Turn off the A52 from Ashbourne to Leek at the main crossroads for Stanton onto Bullgap Lane. DO NOT take the first turning from Ashbourne (Stanton Lane) as the road is very narrow.
Follow Bullgap Lane to the T junction and turn left towards Stanton. Follow the road into the village and keep left. New House Farm is on the left going out of the village (Sally Field Lane).
Wellpaca Woods - Orchard View Cottage, Wensley Road, Winster, DE4 2DH.
From B5057 via Wensley/A6: Enter the village of Winster past primary school on left. Look out for a bus shelter on the right with a bus stop opposite on the left. Very shortly after is a large and wide stone walled entrance leading into what was the old
manor house and is now being converted into apartments. Keep left and follow this drive up beyond the site to a property behind where we have permission to park. It will be signed.
From B5056: Drop down into Winster and pass through centre of village passing shop, then MOT garage on your left. Look out for a large manor house on your right (building work happening). Turn right into the large and wide stone walled entrance keep left and follow this drive up beyond the site to a property behind where we have permission to park. It will be signed.
Westwood Farm - Robridding Road, Ashover, S45 0JA. Note: the Sat Nav does not take you to the correct farm. Turn off Wirestone Lane and head downhill passing a couple of farms on the right. At the junction with Jaggers Lane there is a wide entrance on the right for Westwood Farm. Look out for the large barn with solar panels on the roof and a grinding wheel in the dry stone wall at the entrance.
The small print: For health and safety reasons these events have a limit of 12 attendees plus instructor. Would all attendees make sure they provide a mobile contact number when booking in case any days need to be cancelled at short notice.