Serenaded by skylarks, thirteen wallers tested their skills against each other at Friends of the Lake District’s annual dry stone walling competition held at Mazonwath, Little Asby, near Orton on Saturday 7th May. 20m of wall were rebuilt, with Keith Golding from Crosby Ravensworth being crowned Champion Waller, as well as winning the Professional Class.

Ruth Kirk said:

“Cumbria boasts some of the most skilled wallers in the country and the competitive spirit between them was very much in evidence. The judges, Steve Atkinson and Bill Raine had some difficult decisions to make!

“Inspiring a new generation to continue Cumbria’s heritage of rural skills is vital for conserving our historic and iconic dry stone walls. We’re sure our competition helps to encourage more young local farmers and countryside contractors to earn a living from managing the landscape.”

More images from the day are available on our Facebook page>

Competition Results:

Class 1 Professional

1^st + Overall Winner Keith Golding (Crosby Ravensworth)

Joint 2^nd  – Peter Gibson (Kendal) & William Bell (Kendal)

 

Class 2 Amateur/Open 

1^st  - Thomas Kendal (Grayrigg)

2^nd – Bryn Wythes (Sedbergh))

3^rd – Matthew Roberts (Carlisle)

 

Class 3 Novice/Juniors  

1^st – Sam Robinson (South Lakes)

2^nd – Paul Gingell (Appleby)

3^rd – Benedict Barnes (Crosby Ravensworth)

Junior Cup – Benedict Barnes

 

Class 4 Veteran

1^st-  George Allonby (Penrith)

2nd – Bob Bond (Kendal)

Best Cams – George Allonby, Best Foundations – Peter Gibson, Best Throughs – Will Bell/Keith Golding/Philip Smith