Barney wins inaugural Young Building Craftsperson of the Year Award 2024
30th November 2024 | ANNOUNCEMENTS | OUR STORIES
North Wales-based dry stone waller Barney Murray has won the first Young Building Craftsperson of the Year Award, supported by English Heritage, including a £1,000 prize awarded at a special presentation at Eltham Palace on Tuesday 26 November 2024.
The new award, supported by English Heritage, celebrates a heritage craftsperson aged 25 years or under who has made an outstanding start to their building crafts career. The award is open to practitioners of any skilled craft that is primarily focused on the construction, conservation or repair of buildings or the human landscape. Examples include timber framing, stonemasonry, gauged brickwork and many others.
Though still young, Barney Murray has already attained the highest standard, as recognised by the Dry Stone Walling Association, achieving Master Craftsman certification in September this year. He has won several dry stone walling competition prizes and has acted as an ambassador for dry stone walling, taking a keen and active role in helping others develop their skills by undertaking an instructor course.
The two other finalists for the award were William Blackmore, a multi-skilled conservation practitioner at Chester Cathedral with an NVQ in stonemasonry, carpentry and joinery, and Rudy Hewlett, a fourth generation thatcher in a family-run business that has been going for nearly 100 years.
Dr Nick Merriman OBE, Chief Executive of English Heritage said:
“English Heritage is delighted to have partnered with Heritage Crafts to sponsor the Young Building Craftsperson of the Year award. Craft is woven into the fabric of our lives and our heritage. The skills and talents of craftspeople make an important contribution to the conservation of the collection of great historic sites that English Heritage looks after. Securing a future pipeline of craftspeople is not only vital to the future of that collection but provides rewarding and fulfilling careers for young people.”
Daniel Carpenter, Executive Director of Heritage Crafts said:
“Heritage is about inheritance; passing on skills in a meeting of past and future. We can’t alter the past, but we can do our best to ensure that future generations have access to the cumulative knowledge of generations of craftspeople before them – to forge fulfilling livelihoods and find new ways to address the challenges of tomorrow. We are thrilled to be working with English Heritage to support, safeguard and celebrate this important part of our living heritage.”
Photo: Barney Murray, dry stone waller and winner of the inaugural Young Building Craftsperson of the Year, and Dr Nick Merriman OBE, Chief Executive of English Heritage. Photo by Robert Wade.