Weekend Practice Weekends for Members
Practice Dates – 2023 – dates, venues and instructors subject to change, check for availability via phone or email as detailed below.
| 2023 Schedule | Status | Location | Stone Type | Instructor(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 2023 | No Meeting This Month | |||
| February 2023 | No Meeting This Month | |||
| March 5th | CANCELLED | Hollowford Centre, Castleton | Demonstration | Jon, Carl & Trevor |
| March 18th & 19th | COMPLETED | High Ashes Farm | Gritstone | Bridget & Rob Gibson |
| April 22nd & 23rd | COMPLETED | Lime Pit Project, Alsop Moor | Limestone | Trevor Wragg & Emma Yates |
| May 27th & 28th | COMPLETED | Ashbourne Showground | Limestone | Tom Fenton |
| June 24th & 25th | COMPLETED | New House Farm, Stanton | Single Wall | Ray Mellor |
| July 29th & 30th | COMPLETED | Tideswell Community Park | Limestone | Billy McCallum |
| August 19th & 20th | COMPLETED | New House Farm, Stanton | Single Wall | Ray Mellor |
| September 23rd & 24th | COMPLETED | Green Farm, Biggin | Limestone | Emma Yates |
| October 28th & 29th | COMPLETED | High Ashes Farm | Gritstone | Tom Fenton |
| November 18th & 19th | FULL | Lockerbrook Farm, Ladybower | Gritstone | Community Project, Carl & Jon |
| December 2023 | No Meeting This Month |
How to book
Practice meetings are for DSWA members only. Attendees under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
All members wishing to attend a practice weekend must pre-book a week in advance, where possible, by contacting the appropriate instructor directly as follows –
| Billy McCallum | 07917 192604 |
| Tom Fenton | 07929 451388 or [email protected] |
| Emma Yates | 07966 666463 |
| Ray Mellor | 07904 883902 |
| Bridget & Rob Gibson | 07803 178324 |
| Carl Hardman | 07768 978846 |
Please provide the instructor with your contact details. If you book a place and then cannot attend, please phone the instructor.
If the instructor needs to cancel the event, they will notify the member via their mobile numbers. There is no charge for members to attend practice weekends.
What to bring
The start and finish times are the same for all meetings, 9am to 4pm. You will need to bring with you safety boots with steel toe caps (mandatory), gloves, waterproofs, packed lunch, drink and a smile. Click here for recommended glove types.
If you have any additional equipment of your own such as a shovel, mattock, walling hammer, lines, tape measure etc and it is convenient to bring these with you, then please do so. The instructor will check the suitability of any tools brought to site.
How to get there
Wherever possible, DDSWA signs or flags will be placed to indicate where to turn into the site.
Ashbourne Showground The Showground is approximately 2 miles south of Ashbourne, just off the A52, in the village of Osmaston. Sat Nav – use DE6 1LW follow directions to the Showground from/via the A52 only. The stone here is Limestone.
Green Farm is on Main Street, Biggin by Hartington, SK17 0DH. Halfway between the Waterloo Inn and the church. The stone here is Limestone.
High Ashes Farm – High Ashes Lane, Ashover, Chesterfield, S45 0LH. The stone here is Gritstone.
Hollowford Centre – Castleton, S33 8WB.
Lime Pit Project – The site is on the west side of the A515, 3 miles south of Newhaven or 2 miles from Biggin by Hartington. At grid reference SK 16430 57166 / E 416430 N 357166 there is a double gateway opposite a long wood. Turn into the left gate to access the site.
Lockerbrook Farm Outdoor Centre – Snake Pass, Bamford, S33 0BJ.
New Buildings Farm Taylor’s Lane, Ashleyhay, Wirksworth, DE4 4AH, OS Map 119/296518 and White Peak sheet. The stone here is Gritstone. http://www.newbuildings.co.uk/
New House Farm – Stanton, Ashbourne, DE6 2DD
Turn off the A52 from Ashbourne to Leek at the main crossroads for Stanton onto Bullgap Lane. DO NOT take the first turning from Ashbourne (Stanton Lane) as the road is very narrow.
Follow Bullgap Lane to the T junction and turn left towards Stanton. Follow the road into the village and keep left. New House Farm is on the left going out of the village (Sally Field Lane).
Tideswell Community Park – SK17 8NE. Located next to the School. Driving from the Anchor pub into the village, turn right before the George Inn, then turn right in front of the school into car park at top of hill.
Wellpaca Woods – Orchard View Cottage, Wensley Road, Winster, DE4 2DH.
From B5057 via Wensley/A6: Enter the village of Winster past primary school on left. Look out for a bus shelter on the right with a bus stop opposite on the left. Very shortly after is a large and wide stone walled entrance leading into what was the old
manor house and is now being converted into apartments. Keep left and follow this drive up beyond the site to a property behind where we have permission to park. It will be signed.
From B5056: Drop down into Winster and pass through centre of village passing shop, then MOT garage on your left. Look out for a large manor house on your right (building work happening). Turn right into the large and wide stone walled entrance keep left and follow this drive up beyond the site to a property behind where we have permission to park. It will be signed.
Westwood Farm – Robridding Road, Ashover, S45 0JA. Note: the Sat Nav does not take you to the correct farm. Turn off Wirestone Lane and head downhill passing a couple of farms on the right. At the junction with Jaggers Lane there is a wide entrance on the right for Westwood Farm. Look out for the large barn with solar panels on the roof and a grinding wheel in the dry stone wall at the entrance. The stone here is Gritstone.
The small print:
For health and safety reasons these events have a limit of 12 attendees plus instructor. Would all attendees make sure they provide a mobile contact number when booking in case any days need to be cancelled at short notice.