The Churchill Fellowship funds self-study programmes “to discover the latest innovations and best practice in any practical issue, anywhere in the world.”
In the summer of 2024 I embarked on a Churchill Fellowship to research a wider topic: finding the best practices in rural craft business, how they are supported (or not) and the conditions which allow them to survive, thrive and pass on skills. This includes topics such as access to workshops, natural resources and forest management practices. To study all of these variables, I used my beloved craft of shingle making to provide something of a scientific constant.
.webp?etag=%2249b32-67378d23%22&sourceContentType=image%2Fwebp "RG Bushell - Highland Shingles - Roofing and Wall Cladding Shingles Made in Scotland in Larch, Pine and Aspen by hand")
After coming to Scotland from Austria, I have been left with an ever growing feeling that whilst I know a thing or two about shingle making, there is still much more to learn.
The craft of shingle making has died out in Scotland, so there is no-one to learn from. There are a few workshops in England, but although here the craft has not died perse, a lot of the intergenerational hand-me-down knowledge has, so much of the English production is akin to historical reenactment.
There are good resourced in books, but never the knowledgeable
elder to whisper guiding words in your ear, the "rules of thumb" which can take a lifetime to learn but are so easily lost.
The journey began in Sweden and then on to Finland, Poland, Romania, the Alpine States and home again covering nearly 8000 miles in my works Land Rover.
The travel took in visits to master craftsfolk, small one-man-band workshops, large semi-industrial workshops, community projects and skills training events.
There are many fruits to bring back and share from this travel. An enormous wealth of knowledge in the field of shingle making has been collected, which can be applied directly to the UK scene. For the first time the craft has been recorded on a Europe-wide scale, this has allowed for the collection of a huge collection of shingles, tools and even two sawhorses from across Europe.
Beyond the niche of shingle making, this research has captured some excellent best practices in rural craft businesses, which can be directly applied not just to my own practice but will benefit many others trying to forge a path making a living from traditional crafts rooted in natural materials.
The findings from this research will be published in a report in due course. My biography on the Churchill Fellowship website can be found here.
If you wish to find out more information about my research, please be in touch. More information can also be found on the dedicated Instagram page, @highlandshinglemaker.
Serving Dee, Don & Feughside, Aberdeenshire and in the Scottish Highlands & Islands and further afield by appointment.
Fellow of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings
