Fellowship
What is the William Morris Craft Fellowship?
Since 1986 the SPAB has organised a unique six month training programme in building conservation for young experienced craftsmen and women. There is a growing demand for highly trained craftsmen who understand the wide range of skills and methods used in historic building conservation projects.
The 2011 Fellows were:
Paul Agar, Plasterer
Emlyn Harris, Stonemason
Thomas Soare, Stonemason
Kenny McCaffrey, Stonemason
- How does the Fellowship work?
- Who can apply
- How to apply
- Help support the training of young Craftsmen and women
- Meet some former Fellows
How does the Fellowship work?
The course of practical training is divided into three blocks of two months (generally March – May, July – September and October – December), enabling the Fellows to return to their employment in between each block.
During the first two blocks the Fellows travel as a group the length and breadth of the country making daily site visits, studying repair projects at first hand and meeting professionals, contractors and craftsmen. On site they see at first hand, and discuss, traditional building construction, the decay and repair of materials and the range of techniques available. From time to time the Fellows meet up with the SPAB Scholars for joint visits, a great deal is learnt from each other as the groups get the chance to debate the merits of a project from different perspectives.
The third block of training is devoted to the individual needs and interests of each Fellow in consultation with their employers.
The programme runs from mid-March to Christmas. There are no course fees as training and administrative costs are borne by the SPAB. Successful candidates will receive an award to cover basic travel and living costs, usually in the region of £5,200.
The course is full-time, occasionally including weekends, and it is impossible to combine it with any other form of work or study. Candidates must be aware that Fellows are away from home for long periods. A UK base is desirable.
Who can apply
Craftsmen and women from any trade employed in the repair of historic buildings on site or in workshops and studios. Candidates must have completed their apprenticeship and demonstrate a high degree of competence. Fellows are usually in their 20s or 30s but older candidates will not be excluded. Strong spoken (including technical ) English is a necessity.
How to apply
For full details and an application form please write to the Education Officer, SPAB, 37 Spital Square, London E1 6DY or email: education@spab.org.uk
The closing date for applications is 1st January each year and interviews are held in London at the end of January.
Help Support the Training of Young Craftsmen and Women
The William Morris Craft Fellowship only keeps going thanks to charitable donations. To give it a more secure future a group of former Fellows - all young craftsmen - launched their own appeal (Patron HRH The Prince of Wales) to raise enough money to endow Fellowships in perpetuity. In 2002 they passed their first target of £250,000. Please help them to reach their next goal of endowing at least two Fellowships annually.
If you would like to contribute or know of charitable trusts, companies or individuals who might be interested in supporting the Appeal, please contact us at the SPAB. Remember, if you are a British taxpayer the Government has now made it possible for us to reclaim tax on any donation, of any size. We also welcome support from other countries.
The William Morris Craft Fellowship Trust
The website for the Trust is not available at the moment, but please find a scanned copy of their flyer here.
Meet some Former Fellows
Fellows have the opportunity to develop their own particular craft skills to new levels of excellence. Many former Fellows have risen to positions of responsibility where they are able to impart their knowledge and enthusiasm to other craftsmen. In these ways the Fellowship is helping to raise the standard of building conservation skills and the status of craftsmen involved.
Dave Davies Fellow 2008
Trade: Carpenter
“The Fellowship has really changed the way I look at buildings. There is an intrinsic beauty to old buildings that has come about due to the passing of time. To replace parts unnecessarily robs any building of this beauty as you cannot replicate this ageing process. The Fellowship has made me aware of this and of the importance of gentle and conservative repair whenever possible.
“It has also allowed me the opportunity to meet some fabulous building professionals and tradesmen and tap into their wealth of knowledge. All the people I have met through the Fellowship have been extremely generous with their time and knowledge.”
“I am hopeful that the Fellowship will allow me to work more in the building conservation field; the high regard in which it is held by all the professionals I have met leads me to the think that it will. Ultimately, the Fellowship has proved to be inspiring, informative, thought provoking and quite an adventure.”
Karl Grevatt Fellow 2009
Trade: Carpenter
“…Our last visit during the first week was to Rupert Harris Conservation, a company that specialises in metal conservation. It was fascinating to see the wide range of projects they are working on including repairs to a lead lion from Syon House, repairs to a lead horse from Waddesdon Manor, work on bronze sculptures by various artists and repairs to wax relief panels. Quite a change for us that afternoon was a trip to Hoxton Music Hall – a Grade II* listed building. We learned about the re-felting of the roof and future plans for decorations and improving access there for the local community.
After that first week I was shattered. We thoroughly enjoyed it, but it was only looking back that it dawned on me that meeting so many new people, viewing projects, taking notes and making sketches along with travelling between locations was a truly intense experience.
It was a taste of things to come…”
Andrew Beattie Fellow 2009
Trade: Stonemason
“Block two started early in July. I left from Edinburgh airport at half six with fellow Scot, Stuart, heading for the south west of England
Next day we were with Tom Flemons in Bath at Cliveden Conservation, where we watched the mounting of a Roman mosaic onto a cladding system. This painstaking task was fascinating and quite different from anything we’d seen before.
Moving on, we spent time stonemason Andrew Ziminski and with master thatcher Tom Dunbar, who showed us how to work with local wheat reed. Tom was also kind enough to put us up for the weekend where we got to enjoy some of the Somerset lifestyle!
Andrew and Tom are both former William Morris Craft Fellows and it was invaluable to see the routes they have taken since their time on the programme.
Another highlight in the south west was time spent with Wiltshire-based Charlie Brentnall, who has set up a small framing company (International Timber Conservation & Design). I was really interested to see him use the plumb and level technique to ensure that timber is set and true and square. This is actually a very old method and was lost in this country for a number of years.
Moving on to the Midlands, we spent time at Leamington Spa with architect and lime expert Stafford Holmes at Rodney Melvilles & Partners, an architecture firm specializing in conservation.
We built a lime kiln and learned to burn and slake limestone. We all use lime at work and the practical experience was particularly useful as I always feel I get a better understanding of what’s involved that way.
The remainder of the week was spent in Nottinghamshire at the annual SPAB summer working party at Holy Trinity Church, Ratcliffe-on-Soar. “