DRY stone waller John Billington of Fenay Bridge has been involved in two gold medal-winning RHS Show Garden exhibits in the last three weeks.

On each occasion he has worked alongside walling colleague David Griffiths of Leeds.

They initially met up many years ago as Rugby Union front row opponents and more recently teamed up as craftsmen dry stone wallers.

John’s rugby playing days were at Huddersfield Rugby Union Football Club, where he was 1st Team captain for three seasons.

He retired from his professional career in environmental health and, having always had a keen interest in dry stone walling, he started walling professionally and became a member of the Dry Stone Walling Association or Great Britain and the Yorkshire Dry Stone Walling Guild.

In recent years he has worked on and supervised rebuild, repair and renovation at prestigious locations such as Wentworth and Stainborough Castle, South Yorkshire and Yorkshire Sculpture Park at West Bretton.

Wentworth involved renovation of more than half a mile of sunken ha-ha wall and design and build of a dry stone arched bridge.

In addition to extensive dry stone renovations at Yorkshire Sculpture Park he and colleagues built the working sheep-fold incorporating Shadow Stone which was designed by Andy Goldsworthy.

Additionally, for the last 12 years he and colleagues have built an extensive permanent dry stone walling exhibit at Shibden Hall, Halifax.

It demonstrates all master craftsman features of dry stone walling and contains examples of walls built using different types and styles of stone found in Yorkshire.

The latest and final feature is a remarkable dry stone shepherd’s hut due for completion in September.

During the last 3 weeks John and walling colleague David have been specialist members of construction teams at RHS Showgrounds at Malvern and Chelsea. The Malvern showpiece had a 3-panel backcloth dry stone wall built in coursed Yorkshire sandstone which was reflected in a water feature and interspersed with dense mass planting and sculptural pieces. It was administered by Askham Bryan College, York, on behalf of World Skills UK Ltd. At Chelsea the requirement was a complex of coursed Yorkshire grit-stone including a fireplace feature and the subtle inlay of a tree outline (the symbol of Arthritis UK) in fine cut sandstone.

This exhibit was designed and supervised by well-known radio and television presenter and garden designer Chris Beardshaw on behalf of Arthritis Research UK.

The walling work was intensive and demanding – the reward – two gold medals!