News - Working Parties

Now a peaceful wooded gorge, Lumsdale near Matlock in Derbyshire was once a hive of industry, harnessing the power of the falling water. Since the 1930s the site has become a romantic ruin, and is now cared for by local volunteers like Alan and Christine, who have published a history of this unique place.

The Award is presented each year to the person who best embodied the working party spirit - a warm mixture of generosity, dedication and enthusiasm. This year, the first year, it was awarded to Britt Harwood.

Our event is going ahead this year, though with arrangements in place to ensure the safety of our volunteers, specialists and staff.

Working parties provide young people with the chance to learn practical skills and engage with professionals in a relaxed environment.  

In February a dozen SPAB volunteers and experts gathered to help repair an ancient church tower, which we've owned since the 1980s.

In November we held a working party at St Andrew’s, our Old House Project in Kent. With the help of over 30 keen volunteers and experts the building and its garden have been transformed.

In October we gathered a group of volunteers to carry out emergency works to a sadly neglected, but historically important cottage.

An ancient churchyard wall in Feltwell, near Thetford, Norfolk will be rescued from collapse by the local community and master craftspeople on Sunday 8 – Tuesday 10 September.

The SPAB’s summer calendar only truly begins on the first day of our annual working party. This year the event took place in Boxley Abbey, near Maidstone in Kent.

A group of volunteers and master craftspeople will gather to repair a medieval chapel at Stourton Caundle, near Sherbourne. The building, once part of a medieval chapel, has recently been rescued from ruin and collapse, saving its important ancient graffiti.