A dry stone walling taster day gave young people the chance to lay the foundations for a new set of skills.

Five members of the Daleforce project took part in the event at Killhope: the North of England Lead Mining Museum.

The group picked up tips and techniques from qualified instructors during the one-day introductory course run by the Northumbria branch of the Dry Stone Walling Association.

Michael Boase, Killhope manager, said: “The work carried out by the Daleforce group and other participants of the course has left us with a fantastic wall that fits perfectly with the rest of the site and improves security. We couldn’t be happier with the result.

“The fact that the young people were so interested shows that dry stone walling is far from a dying art. We are now looking forward to running further courses in the future.

Daleforce gives teenagers in the Teesdale, Weardale and Allendale areas the opportunity to create, plan, deliver and take part in cultural and outdoor activities. It is part of NE-Generation and is funded by Legacy Trust UK.