What do you do when you retire? For Alan Chamberlain MCIOB, the answer was not quite golf, gardening and putting his feet up. Instead, after 50 years working in construction around the world, he picked up a hammer and chisel and discovered a new passion for dry-stone walling.
Alan’s construction career began at 16 with Ravi Construction Co in Leicester in the mid-1970s. Over the following decades, he worked his way through roles including trainee engineer, estimator, quantity surveyor, project manager and programme manager, eventually becoming a business leader, researcher and owner/operator.
Construction was always at the heart of his working life. But in 2018, aged 60, Alan took a beginner’s dry-stone walling course in the Derbyshire Dales. He was attracted by the opportunity to work outdoors, with his hands, using a craft that connects directly with Britain’s rural heritage.
What began as an unplanned weekend course developed into something much bigger. Alan became fascinated by stone, the history of dry-stone walls and their role in supporting wildlife and livestock. In September 2024, he gained his Craftsman Certificate of Qualification Level 1 in Dry Stone Walling.
Now a grandfather and based in Leicestershire, Alan combines occasional walling with another passion: storytelling. He has written The Adventures of Walter the Waller, introducing children to a family of dry-stone wall characters while exploring heritage, sustainability and the value of locally sourced materials.
“I maybe could have enjoyed a career as a professional waller,” Alan says. “It’s physical, it’s hard and you need a steely determination to succeed – out there in all weathers.”
After half a century in construction, retirement has clearly provided Alan with another opportunity to build something.
