Friday 16 - Saturday 17 October 2026
\n \nDay 1: 9.30am - 5.30pm
\n Day 2: 8.4
5am - 4.30pm
Join us for a hands-on in troduction to lime plastering – perfect for homeow ners and DIYers\, building custodians and specifie rs.
\n \nOur course venue is the custom-de signed plastering studio at the National Trust’s < a href="https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/oxf ordshire-buckinghamshire-berkshire/heritage-and-ru ral-skills-centre" rel="noreferrer noopener" targe t="_blank">Heritage and Rural Skills Centre\, where you’ll have your very own plastering bay to practice throughout the course. We also keep our c lasses small and friendly\, so you’ll have plenty of attention from our course team. Tutors Sean Whe atley and Michal Wolf are Master Plasterers with d ecades of experience working with lime. They will be joined by Marianne Suhr\, a chartered building surveyor and co-author of the SPAB's Old House Han dbook\, with assistance from the Durrant & Daughte r team.
\n \nIf you live in or care for an old house\, you’ll come away with the practical sk ills you need to confidently tackle lime plaster r epairs in your own home.
\n \nThis introductory course is for anyone interested in learning about plain lime pla stering for their home or old buildings under thei r care. We also welcome conservation officers\, he ritage consultants\, architects\, building surveyo rs and other specifiers too.
\n \nBy the end of the course\, yo u will know:
\n \nSean has four d ecades' experience as a plasterer specialising in traditional methods\, materials and decorative pla sterwork. He is a SPAB Guardian on our Education a nd Training Committee and is a Master Plasterer of the Worshipful Company of Plaisterers.
\n \n < h4>Michal Wolf\, plasterer and conservator in lime \n \nMichal is a Master Plasterer of the Worshipful Company of Plaisterers and a founder of All Things Lime. He is passionate about tradition al methods of working and keeping the craft of lim e plastering alive.
\n \nMarianne is a chartered building survey or\, writer and broadcaster specialising in the re pair of historic buildings. Marianne is co-author of the SPAB's Old House Handbook and Old House Eco Handbook.
\n \nWith thanks to Jon and Lott ie Durrant for their assistance on this course. \n \n
The SPAB i s an IHBC-recognised CPD provider and attendance c ertificates for CPD are available on request.
\ n \nThis is a pra ctical course held in a workshop environment\, whi ch can be dusty\, cold and noisy. There are some u neven surfaces\, such as cobbles\, due to the hist oric nature of the building. Some parts of the cou rse will be held outside - please come prepared fo r the forecast weather.
\n \nPlease bear in mind that the workshop demonstrations and acti vities will require standing.
\n \nAccessi ble parking spaces are marked in the car park. Acc essible toilets are available.
\n \nAnyth ing we can do to make this event more accessible f or you? Please email education@spab.org.uk.
\n \nPhotos and filming: We m ay take photos or videos at this event to be used in future promotion\, including in print and onlin e. Participants may take photos and short videos f or personal use\, with permission of the course le ader and all other participants in frame. If you w ant to post on social media\, please message SPAB' s Comms Team (press@spab.org.uk or @spab1877) for permission. If your material is good\, we might as k to share it with our followers.
\n \nAll bookings are subject to our Terms and Conditions.
\n \nPhoto credit: Ralph H odgson.
\n \nThis event is in association w ith the National Trust.
DESCRIPTION:Friday 16 - Saturday 17 October 2026\n \n \n \n Da y 1: 9.30am - 5.30pm\n \n Day 2: 8.45am - 4.30pm\n \n \n \n Join us for a hands-on introduction to l ime plastering – perfect for homeowners and DIYers \, building custodians and specifiers. \n \n \n \n Our course venue is the custom-designed plasterin g studio at the National Trust’s Heritage and Rura l Skills Centre (https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ visit/oxfordshire-buckinghamshire-berkshire/herita ge-and-rural-skills-centre)\, where you’ll have yo ur very own plastering bay to practice throughout the course. We also keep our classes small and fri endly\, so you’ll have plenty of attention from ou r course team. Tutors Sean Wheatley and Michal Wol f are Master Plasterers with decades of experience working with lime. They will be joined by Mariann e Suhr\, a chartered building surveyor and co-auth or of the SPAB's Old House Handbook\, with assista nce from the Durrant & Daughter team.\n \n \n \n I f you live in or care for an old house\, you’ll co me away with the practical skills you need to conf idently tackle lime plaster repairs in your own ho me. \n \n \n \n Who is it for? \n \n \n This intro ductory course is for anyone interested in learnin g about plain lime plastering for their home or ol d buildings under their care. We also welcome cons ervation officers\, heritage consultants\, archite cts\, building surveyors and other specifiers too. \n \n \n \n You will learn\n \n \n By the end of the course\, you will know:\n \n \n \n \n The bas ics of working with lime\, including slaking\, mix ing and sand selection.\n How to safely work with lime\, including the correct use of tools and PPE .\n How to fix laths and other substrates you mig ht encounter on the job.\n The correct technique for mixing and applying plasters\, including the b ase coat\, pricking up coat\, float coat and setti ng coat.\n When and how to use hydraulic lime.\n How to repair lime plaster cracks.\n How to lime wash.\n \n \n You will need\n \n \n \n Please wea r warm\, comfortable clothing that you don't mind getting dirty or damaged. We recommend you bring o veralls or coveralls to wear if you can. Your arms should be covered during the practical sessions. Some parts of the course will be held outside - pl ease come prepared for the forecast weather. \n You will need to wear sturdy (flat and closed) foo twear for the practical sessions\, and bring a spa re pair of clean\, indoor shoes (flat and closed) for when using the classroom space. \n We will p rovide all necessary protective equipment\, but if you would prefer to wear your own gloves and gogg les\, please bring them. \n All tools and materia ls will be provided. If you would prefer to bring your own plastering tools – hawk\, trowel and wate r brush – please ensure they are labelled. \n \n \ n Tutors \n \n \n Sean Wheatley\, traditional plas terer\n \n \n Sean has four decades' experience as a plasterer specialising in traditional methods\, materials and decorative plasterwork. He is a SPA B Guardian on our Education and Training Committee and is a Master Plasterer of the Worshipful Compa ny of Plaisterers.\n \n \n \n Michal Wolf\, plaste rer and conservator in lime\n \n \n Michal is a Ma ster Plasterer of the Worshipful Company of Plaist erers and a founder of All Things Lime. He is pass ionate about traditional methods of working and ke eping the craft of lime plastering alive.\n \n \n \n Marianne Suhr \n \n \n Marianne is a chartered building surveyor\, writer and broadcaster special ising in the repair of historic buildings. Mariann e is co-author of the SPAB's Old House Handbook an d Old House Eco Handbook.\n \n \n \n With thanks t o Jon and Lottie Durrant for their assistance on t his course. \n \n \n \n Accreditation \n \n \n The SPAB is an IHBC-recognised CPD provider and atten dance certificates for CPD are available on reques t.\n \n \n \n Accessibility \n \n \n This is a pra ctical course held in a workshop environment\, whi ch can be dusty\, cold and noisy. There are some u neven surfaces\, such as cobbles\, due to the hist oric nature of the building. Some parts of the cou rse will be held outside - please come prepared fo r the forecast weather. \n \n \n \n Please bear in mind that the workshop demonstrations and activ ities will require standing. \n \n \n \n Accessibl e parking spaces are marked in the car park. Acces sible toilets are available. \n \n \n \n Anything we can do to make this event more accessible for you? Please email education@spab.org.uk (mailto:ed ucation@spab.org.uk). \n \n \n \n \n Photos and fi lming: We may take photos or videos at this event to be used in future promotion\, including in prin t and online. Participants may take photos and sho rt videos for personal use\, with permission of th e course leader and all other participants in fram e. If you want to post on social media\, please me ssage SPAB's Comms Team (press@spab.org.uk or @spa b1877) for permission. If your material is good\, we might ask to share it with our followers.\n \n \n \n All bookings are subject to our Terms and Co nditions (https://www.spab.org.uk/content/booking- terms-and-conditions).\n \n \n \n Photo credit: Ra lph Hodgson.\n \n \n \n This event is in associati on with the National Trust.\n \n CATEGORIES:Course CALSCALE:GREGORIAN DTSTAMP;TZID=Europe/London:20261016T093000 DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20261016T093000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20261017T163000 LOCATION:Heritage & Rural Skills Centre\n Heritage & Rural Skills Centre\, Buscot and Coleshill Estate\n Swin don\, SN6 7PT\n United Kingdom\n URL:https://www.spab.org.uk/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=1430 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR