Esme’s crafty success earns Royal approval with trust spot
ASKILLED local craftswoman is to play her part in the conservation of some of the UK’s most renowned historic buildings after gaining a place on a training programme with a royal link.
Esme Walker from Skelmersdale was selected as part of this year’s intake on The Prince’s Foundation’s Building Craft programme, where she has worked with expert craftspeople to take her skills to the next level.
Esme, 27, a former pupil of Maharishi School in Skelmersdale who went on to study art foundation and gain a masters degree in town planning, said: “It was during a stonemasonry internship in Mallorca that I gained a flavour for traditional building crafts and restoration.
“I have a great appreciation for creating something really special in an urban environment, having a connec- tion between history and how things were previously done.
“It has its imperfections but is more beautiful as a result.
“It satisfies my enjoyment of work- ing with my hands and preserving things for future generations.”
The course starts with an intensive three-week summer school in London and Ayrshire.
Students learn skills such as drawing and geometry and embark on architectural tours during their stint in Shoreditch before heading north to participate in workshops at Dumfries House estate with master craftspeople in stonemasonry, joinery and timber framing, thatching, lime plastering and pargeting.
The group then tackled a design workshop on the estate, near Cumnock, in the inspiring surroundings of Valentin’s Education Farm, learning about public consultations, design modelling and technical drawing.
“At Dumfries House I’ve really enjoyed the thatching workshop with Alan Jones and the lime-rendering workshop,” Esme said.
“All I knew about Dumfries House came from reading all the literature, but it’s wonderful.
“I’d like to continue to gain a wider breadth of experience, learning timber-framing and maintaining older properties.”
Students were at Dumfries House for a Live Build project, working alongside construction professionals to gain first-hand experience on site.
They then moved on to placements with master craftspeople working on traditional new building schemes and conservation projects across the UK.
Upon completion of the course, they will graduate with a Heritage Skills NVQ Level 3.
Simon Sadinsky, deputy executive director (education) of The Prince’s Foundation at Dumfries House, said: “We believe it is crucial to preserve these valuable skills, which are gradually being lost as the average age of workers in the Historic Buildings sector approaches retirement age.
“It’s crucial that we pass on the wisdom and knowledge built up over hundreds of thousands of years.
“This course is designed for craftspeople like Esme who are looking to bridge the gap between basic qualifications and becoming a master craftsperson working in the heritage sector.”
Earlier this year, The Prince’s Foundation was formed and is now headquartered at Dumfries House.
The house itself was saved for the nation in 2007 by The Prince of Wales, who used £20m of his charitable foundation’s money to secure the future of the house and estate and use it to help people engage in learning experiences that promote confidence and personal development as well as offer training in real-life skills to open up future employment opportunities.
The Prince’s Foundation is now the second largest employer in East Ayrshire with more than 250 full-time and part-time staff across the house, estate and education and training programmes.
General admission to the estate is free while guided house tours can be booked by calling 01290 425 959.