Practical Course: Clay Plastering with Simon Lovatt - Week 2

This is the second clay plastering course at this site, the first is running 24th - 28th August, is those dates work better for you

LOCATION:
Herefordshire

ABOUT THE COURSE:
We will be plastering a 1 storey hempcrete bungalow for a couple based on Permaculture and Regenerative Architecture principles! Our clay plastering course covers the practical aspects of clay plastering onto hempcrete (applicable to other surface types) and by the end of the course, participants will have gained both knowledge and hands-on construction experience which includes:

• The differences between key coat, body coat and finish coat
• How to determine mixes for each type of coat
• A basic understanding of how to process fresh clay into plaster
• The differences between using products and using your own clay
• The benefits of clay plasters & how they can help to combat climate change
• Use of different types of plastering tools
• Creating reveals around windows and doors
• Practical application of body coat
• Finishing techniques
• and much more!

ABOUT THE LIVE BUILD:
Learning with us on this project will give you experience with plastering a hempcrete building, with a focus on using low-impact, natural and recycled materials. The build is quite innovative in that it has a waterless toilet and an integrated drainage system where all the grey and surface water will feed the garden. Participants will receive a Clay Plastering certificate from the School of Natural Building.

ABOUT THE TRAINER:
Simon Lovartt is a heritage builder, craftsperson and founder of Calch a Chlai Cymru, a Welsh-based organisation working with traditional lime, clay building materials and regenerative building practices. He is committed to low-impact construction, vernacular craft, and restoring the cultural knowledge of land-based materials.

BOOKING:
We aim to keep our courses accessible and offer a limited number of subsidised places for those truly unable to afford the standard rate. We trust participants to use their judgement when selecting this option. Places are limited and we encourage early booking via the button below.

£400- Solidarity / income over 30k rate

£300 - Standard rate

£150 - Subsidised rate

See full Terms and Conditions here. Please note that for insurance reasons, all participants must be 16 or over.

ACCESS:
We welcome participants of all physical abilities and neurotypes, and aim to make our courses as accessible and inclusive as possible. As course sites and learning environments vary, we encourage anyone with specific access needs or requirements to get in touch so we can discuss how best to support your participation.

ACCOMMODATION: * Participants are responsible for arranging their own accommodation *
Camping - a limited amount of camping is available on site, on a first come first serve basis.
Howle Hill - has plenty of self catering accommodation.
Walford - is the nearest village.

TRANSPORTATION:
The site is located 3 miles outside Ross-on-Wye, so a taxi or pick up will be necessary to complete your journey.

Train:Hereford, Gloucester or Ledbury.
Bus: Ross-on-Wye. There is no public transport on or to Howle Hill (the site location). The nearest bus stop Coughton Corner at the bottom of Howle Hill (Bus 34 Ross-on-Wye to Monmouth).

By Road:
What 3 Words: Promoting/Graced/Parks
* There is limited parking on site, so you must contact the course hosts prior to travelling to arrange parking. Please car share where possible.

The School of Natural Building believes in the urgency of the climate challenge, and our work is fundamentally about supporting a low-carbon future where people live in ways which bring us closer to the earth, back into community with our ecosystem and back to ourselves. For this reason, we urge participants to travel to our course locations via public or shared transport where possible. We'll connect course participants via a WhatsApp group in advance of the course, to facilitate ride-sharing (which might also help with aligning accommodation options).

The School of Natural Building is a not-for-profit BenCom established for community benefit and receives no external funding. We price our courses as fairly as possible to support accessibility and representation in the building industry.

For course questions and enquiries please contact us on hello@schoolofnaturalbuilding.co.uk