Students studying construction at Pembrokeshire College recently had the opportunity to learn traditional stone masonry skills whilst helping to restore the historic Pembroke town walls.
The first of two taster courses in heritage stone masonry took place recently with ten construction students taking part in a project which is looking to develop a long-term management plan for the Pembroke Town Walls Trust. The project is being funded by the UK Government through the UK Community Renewal Fund. The second course will take place in May with another group of students.
The training courses were designed especially for the project by the Tywi Centre based in Llandeilo and were led by Oliver Coe of Coe Stone Ltd in Haverfordwest. Advice on training young people in the skills needed for work in the sector was provided by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB).
Cyfle Building Skills also provided all the students with laptops to complete their training online and gave them a set of tools with which to go on site to work on one of Pembroke’s burgage walls for the second week thanks to funding from CITB.
A small number of students will now undertake some further work experience with Oliver Coe to restore the west wall of the Civil War gun platform along Pembroke’s north walls.
Arwyn Williams, Head of Faculty for Engineering, Computing, Construction and Higher Education at the College, said: “The learners have had a tremendous experience and the project has been a complete success. Oliver has done an exceptional job of engaging the learners and we should all be very proud of the last two weeks and the months of planning. Thanks to the Pembroke Town Walls Trust for having the vision to set out the project.”
