MICHAEL Coggins, a drystone waller from Ingleton, has been named winner of the Country Landowners Association’s (CLA) 2018 Millennium Wall competition

In order to win the biennial contest, Mr Coggins, 61, rebuilt a collapsed, 24 metre, u-shaped , 2.5 metre high wall used to enclose a water hold for cattle and sheep at Lower Bark House farm, near Austwick.

Mr Coggins, a drystone waller for more than 20 years, was runner up in the competition in 2016.

He said his greatest challenge in reconstructing the wall at Austwick was to find the right stones, using larger ones at the base, to give the structure greater strength.

The height of the wall in sections was also challenging, and needed scaffolding to complete the re-build.

His advice to other drystone wallers is: “Take your time by not outpacing yourself, persevere, start small, and above all, enjoy yourself.”

Accepting the award from Dorothy Fairburn, the CLA’s director in the North, he said: “It is a great honour to be judged winner of this prestigious award, and good to see that the CLA recognises traditional rural skills and crafts.”

John Pridmore , head judge, from the Yorkshire Dry Stone Walling Guild, said: “The wall was well packed to ensure a solid construction. His construction was of excellent quality where we struggled to find any fault. The irregular limestone was built tightly with great line and batter. The overall job showed a great level of skill and expertise.”

Runner up was Philip Beresford of High Bentham, who restored a 160 metre stretch of wall in steep terrain at Newby Head, Hawes. The wall had been down for 60 years.

Mr Pridmore said: “The wall he constructed was a challenging build up the side of a steep hill making the conditions quite difficult for a waller. The finished job looks lovely all the way up the valley side and has great views over the Ribblehead Viaduct.”

The CLA’s Dorothy Fairburn added: “We have been fortunate to work with the Yorkshire Dry Stone Walling Guild in recognising the skills of stone wallers within the area. It is highly skilled work, and valued by locals and visitors alike. Michael is a worthy winner, and we thank the guild for judging this competition.”

Aimed at preserving the county’s ancient craft of dry stone walling, the biennial competition recognises and rewards the people behind the miles of distinctive walls that define Yorkshire’s famous landscapes. Held in association with the Yorkshire Dry Stone Walling Guild, the competition is believed to be unique in Britain as it judges new or rebuilt walls in the countryside, and is not a contest between wallers building temporary short stretches at agricultural shows.