Amberley Museum

Time and enthusiasm for one's subject are perhaps the two things most important to the development of any craft.

At the flint wall company we like to think that we have both. We take any chance we can, to enthuse about our subject.

Watching strangers eyes glaze over as we share our musings on the benefits of lime mortar and clearing rooms at parties with flint facts are things we have grown used to. I myself am always amazed that the differences between Dorset coursed and Kentish random is deemed by some to be a subject of little importance. Not so at the Amberley Museum Victorian craft weekend.

The Flint Wall Company was invited to participate in the event and give a demonstration in the art of flinting, answering questions and sharing skills with visitors. It was a real pleasure to spend time chatting about our subject with interested people not furtively looking around for a chance to escape.

Variety and versatility

During the two day event we demonstrated a number of different flinting styles ranging from a basic coursed field flint to the more decorative Knapped flint squares. We tried to show a wide variety of styles so that people could see the versatility of flint as a material. All our showpieces were built using lime mortar and traditional flint walling methods. We even wore silly hats.