Scholars and fellows travel the country to learn traditional skills

In March the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) announced the recipients of two of its prestigious scholarship schemes: the Lethaby Scholarship and the William Morris Craft Fellowship.

 

Four young people will set off around the country to broaden their knowledge of conservation skills and building crafts under the Lethaby Scholarships, awarded annually to up to four young architects, building surveyors or structural engineers who have completed their college-based training and have a demonstrable enthusiasm for historic building conservation.
This year’s Lethaby Scholars are architects Hugh Conway Morris (pictured left), Maya Polenz and Lucy Stewart (third and fourth from left), and surveyor Meriel O’Dowd.
For the next six months the scholars will travel the country together meeting and staying with fellow architects and craftspeople working on historic sites and in workshops and studios throughout the British Isles. The aim is for the scholars to gain direct hands-on experience guided by experts in the field.
Former SPAB Lethaby Scholars include Ptolemy Dean and Marianne Suhr, who appeared as the ‘ruin detectives’ on BBC’s popular Restoration series. Other SPAB Scholars are today among the UK’s leading conservation experts, caring for many of the most significant buildings in Britain. Some are cathedral architects; others look after palaces, great country houses, National Trust houses and English Heritage sites. Yet others care for lesser-known gems of equal historic and architectural interest. The scholarship is a demanding and rigorous educational award designed to foster excellence and promote understanding of the unique skills and crafts that continue to underpin our built heritage.
SPAB secretary Philip Venning said: “The SPAB scholarship is special. In fact it remains an absolutely unique opportunity in the conservation world. It has been very gratifying to see former scholars going on to take up significant roles and positions, spreading the message of the importance of sensitive repair. We are delighted to send our 2009 scholars out on the trail and confident that they will enjoy equal success and satisfaction both in the months ahead and in their future careers.”
Earlier in the month SPAB announced the recipients of the 2009 William Morris Craft Fellowship, which aims to create a new generation of outstanding craftspeople with the knowledge and expertise to pass on those skills.
Masons Stewart Savage and Andrew Beattie and carpenter/joiner Karl Grevatt (pictured below) will also embark on a six-month journey the length and breadth of the country to learn more about traditional crafts from skilled men and women who have already established careers in the field. The aim is for the new fellows to develop a grounding in a wide range of traditional skills to help them bring a strong awareness of craft diversity to their future professional roles.
Heritage bodies are concerned that there are simply not enough people training to continue Britain’s distinctive buildings crafts and the William Morris Craft Fellowship has never been more relevant. Three or four fellowships are awarded each year depending on available funding.