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Dry stone walling is an ancient craft that goes back thousands of years and remains an important means of enclosing fields in rural areas of Europe, and of constructing terraces for agriculture in more mountainous regions. But it鈥檚 a craft, along with other countryside skills, that鈥檚 practiced by fewer people these days. Kim Chakanetsa speaks to two women from the US and Italy about their passion for building beautiful walls.

Serena Cattaneo is from Genoa Northern Italy where the walls helped establish terraces for olive and vine groves in the mountains. She started dry stone walling five years ago and now, as well as working restoring walls, she also teaches the skill at workshops. She鈥檚 passionate about the trade and keen to develop a women鈥檚 network as she鈥檚 yet to meet another female waller in Italy.

Whitney Brown was 26 years old when she met a dry stone waller at a festival in Washington, within weeks she was out on the hill with him in Wales wielding a hammer and learning everything she could about the craft. She鈥檚 since taken her skills back to the United States where she teaches others, but returns as often as she can to work in the UK.

Produced by Jane Thurlow

(Image: (L) Serena Cattaneo, credit Serena Cattaneo. (R) Whitney Brown, courtesy Whitney Brown. Background: wall in Sori, credit Serena Cattaneo.)