Mentoring

We do not (yet) have a formal mentoring programme, but we do want to support new members who have a commitment to learning how to record a vernacular building.

For trained architects, surveyors, archaeologists, engineers, and landscape experts this will be less of a challenge than for those coming to our subject without related expertise. Reading the books and learning the terms for the components is rather easier than learning to observe, then to sketch exactly what you observe, and finally to draw it up in plan and elevation.

Attending all our winter lectures and discussion sessions will help, and we can advise on other external learning opportunities.

However, for everyone, there is no substitute for regular participation in our study visits to buildings around the Weald on Saturdays/Sundays once a month from April to October. If you wish to make a commitment to learn how to observe, sketch, measure, draw up, interpret, and report on buildings - a task that might take you at least two years - the Group will do its best to provide mentoring support during and between field visits.

Over time, we would expect you to:

• Gain a command of an illustrated glossary of timbers, assemblies and joints.
• Learn how to achieve our specification for reports (which is a very basic minimum standard).
• Be able to contribute to the interpretation of buildings during each post-visit discussion.
• Be able to sketch plans and elevations, and to draw these up for reproduction.
• Be able to produce a building report to our minimum standard.

How to join