A strong field of excellent competitors pitted their skills against each other for glory at Friends of the Lake District’s Annual Dry Stone Walling Competition on Saturday 25th May.
The event took place at Nags Head Farm in Hoff near Appleby where 17 entrants gathered to compete in four classes; professional, amateur, novice and veteran.
A 32 metre section of wall was completed with Adam Clarke from Saddleworth crowned ‘Champion Waller’ as well as winning the ‘Professional Class’.
Ruth Kirk, of Friends of the Lake District said: “Cumbria boasts some of the most highly skilled wallers in the country but we were delighted to see that our competition this year attracted wallers from Yorkshire and Wales too, providing some spirited rivalry.
“Above all, It was great to see another section of wall rebuilt which will stand strong into the next century and beyond. Dry stone walls are iconic in Cumbria and a part of our cultural heritage. It’s vital that we don’t lose the skills needed to maintain and look after these much-loved features of our landscape.”
Competition Results:
Class 1 Professional
1st – Adam Clarke, Saddleworth
2nd – Stephen Richardson, Penrith
3rd – Peter Gibson, Kendal
Class 2 Amateur/Open
1st – Barney Murray, Llandyrnog
2nd – Andrew Downey, Kendal
3rd – Natasha Byrne, Kirkby Stephen
Class 3 Novice/Juniors
1st – George Yates-Bell
Class 4 Veterans
1st – John Gibson, Kendal
2nd – Bryn Wythes, Sedburgh
