External Workshops
We can deliver custom training at your venue, contact us to discuss your training needs.
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Stone of Arc actively promotes traditional techniques, providing a rare opportunity for people in the Oceania and Asia regions to learn the dry stone construction methods developed over several millennia across the northern hemisphere. A full range of courses are offered to satisfy everyone from hobbyist to guru.
Our Training Centre
Set on farmland in the foothills of Mount Arthur near Wellington NSW and including a covered training area, Stone of Arc’s purpose built dry stone training centre is the only one of its kind in the southern hemisphere. Our training structures are all built to Dry Stone Wall Association (DSWA UK) test standards comprising of different types of stone and incorporating all the styles and features required to advance from beginner through to expert.
Easily accessible, the picturesque country setting also offers great walking, kayaking, golfing and biking opportunities for those with boundless energy. With a range of rustic onsite accommodation from family to double rooms and onsite camping (all with shared bathroom), and numerous options available in and around Wellington there is plenty to enjoy in the local area whilst developing your new skills.
To ensure the highest standards are met all courses are limited to 10 people, training is delivered by certified DSWA Instructors, and all levels of training align with DSWA structural principles. For those wishing to pursue accreditation, examinations will be conducted by accredited DSWA Examiners.
Our Courses
For most people taking an Introductory course is the best place to start. Even those with some experience may benefit from revisiting the fundamental principles.
Courses provide participants with a clear understanding of the theory and principles of dry stone work, specific techniques, and a metre each of wall to build.
All courses are run over 2 days unless otherwise stated. For participants' benefit, regular courses are limited to 10 people and demand driven courses are limited to 8.
A reasonable level of experience or completion of an Introductory course is a prerequisite for further courses and practice events.
Stone of Arc provides the following for all course types:
Participants are required to bring:
Use the links below to skip to a certain course or if you're just browsing, feel free to scroll away.
*Concession information: People with limited funds can register for last minute deals at reduced prices by contacting us with their details.
Our Introductory courses provide participants with enough knowledge and experience to be able to accurately identify traditional walling methods, commence a basic private project, and pursue further learning.
All walls need to start and end somewhere so understanding the fundamentals and significance of a cheekend (or wall head) is vital to any construction you might aspire to create. Though stone selection is key, almost all dry stone work requires some stone shaping, and while all courses cover basic techniques, this course includes a greater focus on more advanced stone shaping methods and improved placement.
Building on previously attained skills, this course focuses on the fundamentals of constructing a curve. With a good grasp of basic walling and shaping principles you will develop your abilities to select the correct stone and achieve tight joints, a smooth curve, and a consistent batter.
This course focuses on the fundamentals of constructing a retaining wall. Retaining walls are built in a way that enables them to hold back earth and rock. You will develop your skills in selecting the correct base and batter, using extended through stones and packing back to the earth face.
*Concession information: People with limited funds can register for last minute deals at reduced prices by contacting us with their details.
In addition to all the elements of the standard Introduction to Dry Stone Walling course, this option covers specific tips for women in a supportive and exclusively female environment.
This course focuses on the fundamentals of constructing a square corner. You will develop your skills in accurately selecting and placing stones to tie both sections of wall together with an even inner and outer batter.
This course introduces the use of lintels in dry stone features and provides ideal preparation for those intending to move through the qualification process. Typically used as a stock control feature (enabling sheep to pass where cattle can’t) lunky’s can also be used to straddle waterways or other obstacles.
Building walls or features on sloping ground requires an increased level of skill, whether you are maintaining a level or a height. This course focuses on appropriately stepped foundations, equidistant placement of through stones, horizontal coursing and self-supporting placement of cope stones.
This course allows participants to learn and practice the construction techniques of both a Step-stile and Squeeze-stile. Developed to allow human traffic across a walled area both stiles require advanced skills in terms of incorporating throughs and lintels, achieving tight joints and strong ties, maintaining an accurate batter and good use of copes.
This course introduces the use of a former. You will learn how to create and set up a former, how to build over it, and remove it. You will also focus on the selection, shaping and fitting of keystones and how they are integrated into the overall structure.
Pillars are an attractive addition to a wall head or gateway. This course focuses on the integration of quoins and methods to maintain a vertically accurate and stable structure.
Here we have an opportunity to move away from standard coursed horizontal walls and apply the same fundamental principles to random stone placement and vertical stone placement.
For those who aspire to become a qualified or professional waller, or to have their existing skills and experience formally recognised we offer a range of test specific features and 4-day test preparation courses for all four levels of the Craftsman Certification scheme. Where demand exists a Exam event will take place on the 5th day. Applications for tests must be submitted 6 weeks prior to a Exam event. Register your interest or call us for a discussion.
In addition to the numerous courses we provide covering structures pertinent to the certification scheme, these courses offer a detailed insight into the standards required by the DSWA UK. We also look at ways to improve your speed and efficiency for the timed test elements and offer significant pre-test practice opportunities to prepare you for success.
In the presence of the Examiner/s, candidates are required to strip down and rebuild a straight-forward free-standing 2.5 square metre section of wall within a single 7 hour period.
The standard required places emphasis on a sound and solid construction rather than on a quality finish. Candidates must obtain the minimum mark in each section and an overall pass mark of at least 50 in order to gain certification.
Process | Maximum mark | Minimum mark |
Stripping out | 10 | 5 |
Laying foundations | 24 | 12 |
Building/Packing 1st lift | 20 | 10 |
Placing through stones | 6 | 3 |
Building/Packing 2nd lift | 20 | 10 |
Copestones and finish | 15 | 7.5 |
Approach to safety | 5 | 2.5 |
Minimum total marks required to pass | 50 |
In the presence of the Examiner/s, candidates are required to strip down and rebuild a 2.5 square metre section of wall not less than 1 metre in height below the copestones and incorporating a vertical cheekend within a single 7 hour period.
In addition to the standards required for level 1 certification emphasis is placed on; line and straightness, adequate hearting, selection of stones for all parts, batter, accurate laying of through stones and secureness of copestones. Candidates must obtain the minimum mark in each section and an overall pass mark of at least 69 in order to gain certification.
Process | Maximum mark | Minimum mark |
Stripping out | 5 | 2.5 |
Laying foundations | 10 | 5 |
Building/Packing 1st lift | 12 | 6 |
Placing through stones | 6 | 3 |
Building/Packing 2nd lift | 12 | 6 |
Line and straightness | 10 | 5 |
Batter | 15 | 7.5 |
Copestones and finish | 10 | 5 |
Cheekend | 30 | 15 |
Approach to safety | 5 | 2.5 |
Minimum total marks required to pass | 69 |
This certificate has two parts which must be conducted separately and in order. Candidates must hold the Intermediate Level 2 certificate before applying for this certificate. Candidates must obtain the minimum mark in each section and an overall pass mark of at least 87 in order to gain the full certificate. As there are no time constraints for Part A of the test, Examiners expect the work to be of a high quality.
Part A: Candidates must build 5 square metres of curved wall plus an additional 5 square metres of wall incorporating either a lunky, built on sloping ground of at least 20 degrees, or to a height of 1.8 metres.
Process | Maximum mark | Minimum mark |
Construction of curved wall | 20 | 13.5 |
Construction of special feature: Lunky, high wall or wall on sloping ground | 20 | 13.5 |
Minimum total marks required to pass | 27 |
Once Part A has been successfully completed candidates have 12 months to pass Part B. There are no restrictions on how many attempts are made within the 12 month period. If a candidate fails to pass Part B within the timeframe, they are required to reapply for Part A, submitting new features.
Part B: In the presence of Examiners candidates are required to strip down and rebuild a 4.5 square metre section of wall, retaining to the base of the copestones and not less than 1.2 metres in height, within a single 7 hour period.
In addition to the standards required for level 1 and 2 certification, emphasis is placed on; solid secure foundations and preparation of earth bank, adequacy of packing, selection and placement of building stones, sufficient through stones relative to the height of wall, batter, line and straightness, retaining to base of cope stones.
Process | Maximum mark | Minimum mark |
Stripping out | 5 | 2.5 |
Earthbank & foundations | 15 | 7.5 |
Building/Packing 1st lift | 10 | 5 |
Placing through stones | 10 | 5 |
Building/Packing 2nd lift | 10 | 5 |
Line and straightness | 10 | 5 |
Batter | 15 | 7.5 |
Copestones and finish | 10 | 5 |
Approach to safety | 5 | 2.5 |
Minimum total marks required to pass | 60 |
This certificate has two parts which must be conducted separately and in order. Candidates must hold the Advanced Level 3 certificate before applying for this certificate. Candidates must build an overall total of 30 square metres of wall, obtain the minimum mark in each section and an overall pass mark of at least 128 in order to gain the full certificate. As there are no time constraints for Part A of the test, Examiners expect the work to be of the highest standard.
Overall, this level of certification requires candidates to prove their ability to produce quality work at the prescribed work rate, build all features to a high standard, and produce quality work in a commercial situation.
Part A: Candidates must build 3 features each within a minimum of 5 square metres of wall, excluding the pillar which must have a total face area of at least 3.6 square metres. At least 5 constructed metres must be built on ground with a slope of 30 degrees or more. Work must also demonstrate at least 2 building styles (i.e. coursed and random) and 2 different stone types.
In addition to the standards required for previous levels of certification, emphasis is placed on; high standards of finish and the ability to produce high quality work.
Optional features are shown in the following marking table:
Feature | Maximum mark | Minimum mark |
Round end OR round corner OR square corner | 24 | 18 |
Set of steps OR stile | 24 | 18 |
Arch OR pillar | 24 | 18 |
Work on sloping ground | 24 | 18 |
Minimum total marks required to pass | 54 |
Once Part A has been successfully completed candidates have 12 months to pass Part B. There are no restrictions on how many attempts are made within the 12 month period. If a candidate fails to pass Part B within the timeframe, they are required to reapply for Part A, submitting new features.
Part B: In the presence of Examiners candidates are required to build a Part A feature not previously demonstrated, using appropriate stone that can have been selected beforehand but not overly shaped or laid out (stripping out is not required at this level). The work should incorporate at least 5 square metres of wall and be constructed within a single 7 hour period.
In addition to the standards required for level 1 and 2 certification, emphasis is placed on; solid secure foundations and preparation of earth bank, adequacy of packing, selection and placement of building stones, sufficient through stones relative to the height of wall, batter, line and straightness, retaining to base of cope stones.
Process | Maximum mark | Minimum mark |
Preparing and laying foundations | 10 | 5 |
Placing through stones | 10 | 5 |
Building/Packing 1st and 2nd lift | 15 | 7.5 |
Line and straightness | 10 | 5 |
Batter | 10 | 5 |
Copestones and finish | 10 | 5 |
Approach to safety | 5 | 2.5 |
Appropriate selection and use of stone | 5 | 2.5 |
Chosen feature | 24 | 18 |
Minimum total marks required to pass | 74 |
For people holding Intermediate Level 2 certification or above, an online Instructor training course is available. This program has been specifically developed for professional level wallers in Australia and is provided in conjunction with the Dry Stone Wall Association UK.
The course takes potential DSWA Instructors through learning and teaching styles, delivery techniques and training course standards. On successful completion of the course, trainers will be able to access DSWA approved training materials and conduct DSWA dry stone workshops. This course has been developed to improve the number and capacity of qualified trainers in Australia, encourage the teaching of traditional dry stone principles, and improve national training standards.
Stone of Arc can deliver external training events, demonstrations and information sessions to community groups, agencies and individuals based anywhere in the country. To date we have conducted 1-2-1 training, practice events, taster/information sessions, trade show demonstrations and pathway to employment youth workshops.
For further details keep an eye on our Events section, register your interest in hosting an event or contact us to discuss your ideas.
We can deliver custom training at your venue, contact us to discuss your training needs.
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"Walling to me is wholly engaging. It’s my gym, my art class, my mindfulness session and my trip to the country all rolled into one. It requires time, precision and order, patience, resilience, and attention to detail. It connects the past with the future and delivers a beautiful, sustainable structure and unrivalled sense of pride and satisfaction".
Emma Knowles - Founder, Stone of Arc