The Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain DSWA
The Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain (DSWA) was established in 1968 as a registered charity, working to advance education in the craft of drystone walling and maintain it as heritage for public benefit. As a charity it is governed by a board of twelve elected Trustees, who are volunteers and elect a Chairman and Deputy Chairman, legal responsibilities lie with the Trustees.
Since its formation the DSWA has grown in to a national organisation recognised and respected for its work. It has two sub committees which are: The Craft Skills Group, responsible for training and certification activities and The Staffing Committee, looking at the staffing requirements of the Association. The national office is based in Cumbria and there are 18 regional branches spread throughout the UK.
The DSWA estimates that there are approximately 200,000 km of dry stonewalls in the UK, many of which are in poor condition and in need of repair.
For further information about dry stone walling and the work of the DSWA visit: https://www.dswa.org.uk
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
- Building with structural stone.
- Choosing stone.
- Caithness Broch Project.
- Conservation in the Highlands and Islands.
- Development of sustainable rural housing in the Scottish Highlands and Islands.
- Dry stone walling.
- Development of sustainable rural housing in the Scottish Highlands and Islands.
- Engaging communities in our Highlands and Islands.
- Finding stone to conserve historic buildings.
- IHBC articles.
- Lord Leverhulme on Lewis and Harris.
- Orkney gables.
- Macallan Distillery.
- Masonry.
- Modern Stonemasonry.
- Matthew Davidson stonemason and civil engineer.
- New architecture of Scotland’s west coast.
- Re-thatching a Hebridean blackhouse.
- Thatch.
- The architecture of the Isle of Man.
- The challenges and opportunities of conservation in the Highlands and Islands.
- The Institute of Historic Building Conservation.
- The Scots reed thatching tradition.
- Traditional construction materials on the Isle of Man.
- Traditional straw thatching in times of shortage.
- Types of stone.
- Vernacular architecture.
Featured articles and news
Change of use legislation breaths new life into buildings
A run down on Class MA of the General Permitted Development Order.
Solar generation in the historic environment
Success requires understanding each site in detail.
Level 6 Design, Construction and Management BSc
CIOB launches first-ever degree programme to develop the next generation of construction leaders.
Open for business as of April, with its 2026 prospectus and new pipeline of housing schemes.
The operational value of workforce health
Keeping projects moving. Incorporating unplanned absence and the importance of health, in operations.
A carbon case for indigenous slate
UK slate can offer clear embodied carbon advantages.
Costs and insolvencies mount for SMEs, despite growth
Construction sector under insolvency and wage bill pressure in part linked to National Insurance, says report.
The place for vitrified clay pipes in modern infrastructure
Why vitrified clay pipes are reclaiming their role in built projects.
Research by construction PR consultancy LMC published.
Roles and responsibilities of domestic clients
ACA Safety in Construction guide for domestic clients.
Fire door compliance in UK commercial buildings
Architect and manufacturer gives their low down.
The new towns and strategic environmental assessments
12 locations of the New Towns Taskforce reduced to 7 within the new towns draft programme and open consultation.
Buildings that changed the future of architecture. Book review.


















