July 2009
Craven College in Skipton has built a high reputation for training young apprentices in craft skills relevant to the restoration of traditional buildings. Their courses are in high demand, and cover stonemasonry, joinery, brickwork and plasterwork.
To develop the skills and knowledge of both students and tutors, the College joined with INTBAU (International Network for Traditional Building, Architecture and Urbanism) to arrange four one-week on-site courses in Roumania led by Henry Rumbold MBE, stonemason and craft historian extraordinaire, who is based at Fountains Abbey. The training takes place at a medieval evangelical church in Achita in Transylvania, and is very intensive. It involves lime work, brickwork, and stonemasonry, and begins with a survey of the damage caused by years of neglect. This is followed by planning the necessary repairs and their order. Sources for the local clay, lime and shale, originally used to build the church, had to be found. And finally participants applied appropriate methods of building, pointing, tamping, grouting and finishing.
Kevin Lambert, Craven’s Heritage Skills tutor, who was personally involved in setting up the project with INTBAU, said: “This experience was invaluable to students and tutors alike, since it covered the full basic methods of building in the heritage sector, and was guided by such an experienced and inspiring teacher.”