Book Tickets Online
About
First there’s time to get attuned to your surroundings. Join your guide Jenny for a wander through the nearby ancient woodland and meadow, which provides a state of mindfulness you'll note is appropriate to the sustainable practice of building without machines or mortar.
Following your walk, husband Mark will proudly show you the 400 metres of original dry-stone walls he has restored. The granite comes direct from the Mourne Mountains and was first used here at The Green over 300 years ago. Then it’s your turn. You’ll work alongside Mark. By physically building part of a stone-wall, you’ll be taking part in this timeless tradition yourself.
You’ll learn how to handle the stone and move it into place. Don’t worry: if you don’t want to lift the bigger stones there are smaller ones you can use too - the same methods apply. You’ll learn to measure and gauge using the special vocabulary that has developed around the craft. Pretty soon you’ll know what a sentence like ‘coggle and skim the skelfs and spalls’ actually means. Then it’s time for a traditional Mourne builder’s lunch. Prepared by Jenny, it's served in the traditional way too: in a biscuit tin!
Inspired by the beauty of Mourne and stone-edged fields, Mark has written a poem called ‘Under the Sod’. If you’re lucky he’ll recite it before you leave, and it truly sums up the experience. In his words ‘A monument made from granite and air / Declares to the world we were once there’. You’re sure to enjoy and appreciate making your own declaration here at The Green.
