Dry stone walls

How to Build a Stone Wall

/ Michelle Becker / Leave a comment
The end of the final day of the workshop. Phew!

The end of the final day of the workshop. Phew!

If you live in a place where there are a lot of stone walls you’ve probably admired them. Dry stone walls are timeless, classic, and stand as testimonies to historic and cultural traditions that have been usurped by strip malls and housing developments that hollow us of a sense of place and belonging.   Perhaps you’ve thought about having some built on your property, or, if you have stone at your place, you’ve thought of building some yourself. If you’d like to know more about the history ,the dynamics and details of constructing dry stone walls, that is, walls without mortar, you couldn’t do better than to sign on for a workshop with Andrew Pighills.

Andrew will be teaching a week-end long, dry stone wall building workshop on Saturday and Sunday, April 28th and 29th at Stonewell Farm in Killingworth, Connecticut. For more information please contact me at: mb@mbeckerco.com and I will send you registration materials.

Upcoming Dry Stone Wall Building Workshop

/ Michelle Becker / Leave a comment
Participants gain confidence using unfamiliar tools through one-on-one instruction.

Participants gain confidence using unfamiliar tools through one-on-one instruction.

It’s that time of year again! On Saturday, April 28th and Sunday, April 29th, 2018,  Andrew Pighills will be conducting another dry stone wall building workshop here at Stonewell Farm.

This two-day, hands-on,  workshop instructs homeowners and tradespeople the structural techniques involved in building a dry stone wall. The outdoor classroom provides the setting for practicing proper dry stone walling methods including safety, batter, hearting, throughs, and capstones.  Knowledge gained will prepare students for their own projects and help train their eyes to identify proper walling techniques in all dry-stone walls. Registration is limited to 16 participants, who must be 18 years of age or older. Cost includes an evening “Pizza Rustica’ dinner, prepared on-site in a hand-built stone, wood-fired oven crafted by the instructor.
Cost: $350  Pre-registration is required.

To register: contact Michelle Becker, Workshop Administrator
tel. 860-810-8802

Email: stonewellcottage@gmail.com

Successful stone wall building workhop

/ Michelle Becker / 1 Comment
Dry Stone Wall Building Workshop_Spring 2012

An enthusiastic group learns how to build a dry stone wall at Stonewell Farm in Killingworth, CT.

Andrew Pighills conducted a successful dry stone wall building workshop here at Stonewell Farm this past weekend. The weather was made to order and the participants were as well; a really amazing group who possessed advanced teamwork skills and were particularly attentive to understanding and implementing the dry stone wall building principles that they were learning. The section of wall that they built is something they can all be proud of.

Upcoming Dry Stone Wall Building Workshop in Connecticut

/ Michelle Becker / Leave a comment

Stonewall Building Workshop
Andrew Pighills, 
Two-day workshop 
Saturday & Sunday, April 27th & 28th,  2019
Tuition: $350

Learn what it takes to build a dry stone wall from A Dry Stone Walling Association–certified instructor. Build a free-standing wall by applying four basic principles and employing a few simple techniques. From “founds” to “throughs” to “copes,” each stage in the construction will be explained and demonstrated. Participants will build a wall using native stone. This is a great chance to try something new or fine-tune skills you already have.

students learn how to build a dry stone wall

On Saturday evening we have a Pizza Party, where participants get to relax with drinks and pizza, cooked in our own outdoor wood fired oven.

20140928_090334                                  Pizza Oven

The workshop is a two-day event, Sat. and Sun. April 27th & 28th , 2019 and will be held at Stonewell Farm, 39 Beckwith Road in Killingworth, Connecticut. All instruction is on an individual basis. Pre-registration is required, as the workshops fill up quickly.

To register, contact:
Michelle Becker, Workshop Administrator
e-mail: stonewellcottage@gmail.com
Tel. 860-810-8802