About us

The Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain (DSWA) was established in 1968 and is a registered charity that works to advance education in the craft and heritage of dry stone walling for the public benefit.

Since its formation the DSWA has grown in to a national organisation recognised and respected for its work. The national office is based in Cumbria and there are 19 regional branches spread throughout the UK.

Dry Stone Walling Association Dry Stone Walling Association
Dry Stone Walling Association Dry Stone Walling Association

What we do

Dry stone walls have been part of the landscape of the UK for thousands of years. The DSWA is the country’s only organisation dedicated to protecting this rich history.
It is estimated that there are approximately 200,000 km of dry stone walls in the UK but only a small percentage of these are in good condition, with many in an advanced stage of decay and/or  derelict.

The DSWA is committed to raising awareness of the importance of our dry stone walls and their heritage to both the general public, land owners and the government. The Association, both nationally and through its network of local branches, runs numerous training courses throughout the year. This ensures the skills required to maintain and build new walls are passed down to the next generation of dry stone wallers.

How we work

Under charity law the Dry Stone Walling Association is governed by a board of Trustees, who are volunteers. The Trustee Board consists of up to twelve elected Trustees and from this number the Trustees elect a Chairman and Deputy Chairman.  All the Association’s legal responsibilities lie with the Trustees who formulate the Association’s direction, policies, budget and staffing levels.

There are currently two  sub committees:

The Craft Skills Group, responsible for the Association’s training and certification activities.

The Staffing Committee, looking at the staffing requirements of the Association.

The Association employs a full time Administrator to manage the day to day running of the national office, an Admin Assistant and a Training and Education Coordinator.