Saturday 6 June 2026
\n 9am - 4.30pm
Join us for a unique opportunity to learn the endangered craft of pargeting from one o f the country’s highest regarded pargeters\, Bill Sargent\, at the Heritage and Rural Sk ills Centre\, Coleshill. This workshop is brou ght to you in association with the National Trust.
\n \nPargeting (also spelled 'pargetting' ) is a decorative render applied to the facade of a building\, believed to have been introduced to E ngland in the 16th century by Italian craftspeople . Patterns are scratched or stamped into wet plast er\, while more skilled craftspeople make their ow n relief designs modelled directly on to the wall.
\n \nOnce you’ve learned about the histor y and skill of pargeting from Bill Sargent\, it’ll be your turn to get creative! Under the supervisi on of our friendly tutors\, you'll design and crea te your own pargeted panel to take home.
\n \ nIn the UK\, pargeting is considered an endang ered craft due to lack of awareness of it outside the built heritage sector and a decline in traditi onal plastering skills. Join us to learn the basic s of this fascinating craft and help to keep this skill alive.
\n \nThis introductory workshop is for anyone inte rested in learning pargeting skills for work\, gen eral interest or leisure. We welcome old buildings enthusiasts\, craftspeople\, homeowners\, buildin g conservation professionals and students. No prio r experience is required.
\n \nBill is one of the h ighest regarded pargeters in the UK. After college \, Bill worked with his father\, continuing the tr adition of conservation plasterwork and pargeting begun by his grandfather almost 100 years ago. Bil l’s work varies from claylump and brick to timber- framed period properties\, using materials such as clay plasters\, chalk lime and sand lime putty pl asters to produce a traditional finish.
\n \nAndrew worked as an art lecturer\, taught wat ercolour painting in Florence and has exhibited hi s work at galleries. Andrew started working with B ill Sargent several decades ago\, using his artist ic skills to create pargeting pieces as well as sg raffito and fresco designs.
\n \nSean ha s four decades' experience as a plasterer speciali sing in traditional methods\, materials and decora tive plasterwork. He is a SPAB Guardian on our Edu cation and Training Committee and is a Master Plas terer of the Worshipful Company of Plaisterers. \n \n
Michal is a Master Plastere r of the Worshipful Company of Plaisterers and a f ounder of All Things Lime. He is passionate about traditional methods of working and keeping the cra ft of lime plastering alive.
\n \nThe SPAB is an IHBC-recognised CPD provider and attendance certificates for CPD are available on request.
\n \nThis is a practical course held i n a workshop environment\, which can be dusty\, co ld and noisy. There are some uneven surfaces\, suc h as cobbles\, due to the historic nature of the b uilding.
\n \nPlease bear in mind that th e workshop demonstrations and activities will requ ire standing.
\n \nAccessible parking spac es are marked in the car park. Accessible toilets are available.
\n \nAnything we can do to make this event more accessible for you? Please e mail educat ion@spab.org.uk.
\n \nPhotos and filming: We may take photos o r videos at this event to be used in future promot ion\, including in print and online. Participants may take photos and short videos for personal use\ , with permission of the course leader and all oth er participants in frame. If you want to post on s ocial media\, please message SPAB's Comms Team (pr ess@spab.org.uk or @spab1877) for permission. If y our material is good\, we might ask to share it wi th our followers.
\n \nAll bookings are sub ject to our Terms and Conditions.
\n \nPhoto credit: Michal Wolf.
\n \nThis event is in association with the National Trust.
DESCRIPTION:Saturday 6 June 2026\n \n 9am - 4.30pm\n \n \n \n Join us for a unique opportunity to learn the enda ngered craft of pargeting from one of the country’ s highest regarded pargeters\, Bill Sargent\, at t he Heritage and Rural Skills Centre (https://www.n ationaltrust.org.uk/visit/oxfordshire-buckinghamsh ire-berkshire/heritage-and-rural-skills-centre)\, Coleshill. This workshop is brought to you in asso ciation with the National Trust. \n \n \n \n Parge ting (also spelled 'pargetting') is a decorative r ender applied to the facade of a building\, believ ed to have been introduced to England in the 16th century by Italian craftspeople. Patterns are scra tched or stamped into wet plaster\, while more ski lled craftspeople make their own relief designs mo delled directly on to the wall. \n \n \n \n Once y ou’ve learned about the history and skill of parge ting from Bill Sargent\, it’ll be your turn to get creative! Under the supervision of our friendly t utors\, you'll design and create your own pargeted panel to take home. \n \n \n \n In the UK\, parg eting is considered an endangered craft due to lac k of awareness of it outside the built heritage se ctor and a decline in traditional plastering skill s. Join us to learn the basics of this fascinating craft and help to keep this skill alive.\n \n \n \n Who is it for? \n \n \n This introductory works hop is for anyone interested in learning pargeting skills for work\, general interest or leisure. We welcome old buildings enthusiasts\, craftspeople\ , homeowners\, building conservation professionals and students. No prior experience is required. \n \n \n \n You will learn\n \n \n \n A brief histo ry of pargeting in the UK. \n Plaster preparation requirements.\n Pargeting pattern-making using a n assortment of tools and techniques.\n Pargeting freehand design inspiration and basic techniques. \n Advice on tending and painting the plaster.\n \n \n You will need\n \n \n \n Please wear warm\, comfortable clothing that you don't mind getting dirty or damaged. We recommend you bring overalls or coveralls to wear if you can. Your arms should be covered during the practical sessions.\n You w ill need to wear sturdy (flat and closed) footwear for the practical sessions\, and bring a spare pa ir of clean\, indoor shoes (flat and closed) for w hen using the classroom space. \n We will provid e all necessary protective equipment\, but if you would prefer to wear your own gloves and goggles\, please bring them. \n All tools and materials wi ll be provided. You are welcome to bring any parge ting design ideas or inspiration with you. \n \n \n Tutors \n \n \n Bill Sargent\, pargeter and tra ditional plasterer \n \n \n Bill is one of the hig hest regarded pargeters in the UK. After college\, Bill worked with his father\, continuing the trad ition of conservation plasterwork and pargeting be gun by his grandfather almost 100 years ago. Bill’ s work varies from claylump and brick to timber-fr amed period properties\, using materials such as c lay plasters\, chalk lime and sand lime putty plas ters to produce a traditional finish. \n \n \n \n Andrew Fawcett\, artist and craftsman\n \n \n Andr ew worked as an art lecturer\, taught watercolour painting in Florence and has exhibited his work at galleries. Andrew started working with Bill Sarge nt several decades ago\, using his artistic skills to create pargeting pieces as well as sgraffito a nd fresco designs.\n \n \n \n Sean Wheatley\, trad itional plasterer \n \n \n Sean has four decades' experience as a plasterer specialising in traditio nal methods\, materials and decorative plasterwork . He is a SPAB Guardian on our Education and Train ing Committee and is a Master Plasterer of the Wor shipful Company of Plaisterers. \n \n \n \n Michal Wolf\, plasterer and conservator in lime\n \n \n Michal is a Master Plasterer of the Worshipful Com pany of Plaisterers and a founder of All Things Li me. He is passionate about traditional methods of working and keeping the craft of lime plastering a live.\n \n \n \n Accreditation \n \n \n The SPAB i s an IHBC-recognised CPD provider and attendance c ertificates for CPD are available on request.\n \n \n \n Accessibility \n \n \n This is a practical course held in a workshop environment\, which can be dusty\, cold and noisy. There are some uneven s urfaces\, such as cobbles\, due to the historic na ture of the building. \n \n \n \n Please bear in mind that the workshop demonstrations and activiti es will require standing. \n \n \n \n Accessible p arking spaces are marked in the car park. Accessib le 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:educa tion@spab.org.uk). \n \n \n \n \n Photos and filmi ng: We may take photos or videos at this event to be used in future promotion\, including in print a nd online. Participants may take photos and short videos for personal use\, with permission of the c ourse leader and all other participants in frame. If you want to post on social media\, please messa ge SPAB's Comms Team (press@spab.org.uk or @spab18 77) 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 Condi tions (https://www.spab.org.uk/content/booking-ter ms-and-conditions).\n \n \n \n Photo credit: Micha l Wolf. \n \n \n \n This event is in association w ith the National Trust.\n \n CATEGORIES:Course CALSCALE:GREGORIAN DTSTAMP;TZID=Europe/London:20260606T093000 DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260606T093000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260630T163000 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=1452 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR