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| Andrew Pighills and Susan Allport discuss The Art of Dry Stone Walls |
Last night I participated in a slide lecture and discussion entitled 'The Art of Dry Stone Walls' at the Bedford Historical Society (Bedford, New York) with co-presenter,
Susan Allport, author of
Sermons in Stone: The Stone Walls of New England and New York. The
Bedford Historical Society is an unusually young, passionate, and dynamic group of preservationists. In its effort to preserve the historic character of the region, in general, and the beautiful town of Bedford in particular, the BHS hosts a yearly, Profiles in Preservation event and Susan and I were invited to share our knowledge and experience with their members and the public.
Susan spoke eloquently and engagingly,sharing her impressive knowledge of the history and development of New England's dry stone walls, or dry stone fences, as they were sometimes called. (I highly recommend her book to anyone interested in learning more about the subject).
I spoke from the craftsman's viewpoint, tracing the tradition of dry stone construction back to my native UK and illustrated the practicalities of dry stone structures as well as the varying regional styles of walls both here in New England and in the UK.
It was a very enjoyable evening, and although Susan and I had not met before, nor had we coordinated with one another regarding the material we planned to cover, our presentations not only complemented one another's, but seemed to merge seamlessly.
I thank all the members and staff of the Bedford Historical Society for the considerable effort and preparation that went into this successful event, it was a pleasure.
For those attendees who expressed an interest in attending a Dry Stone Wall Building workshop, you can check back here at the event page, to learn about the schedule, or e-mail me at the address below and I will send you updates and schedules:
e-Mail:
andrewpighills@englishgardensandlandscaping.com
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