Lately these columns have been oscillating between cladding and craftsmanship; these are, in my mind, entirely interconnected and at the forefront of what will shape the immediate future of our profession. Some fascinating people have got in touch in response, one of whom is Ali McClary from the Society for the Preservation of Ancient Buildings (SPAB). She told me about the SPAB’s Lethaby scholarship, which seeks to teach young or early-career architects building conservation skills through an immersive, hands-on, nine-month tour of the country working alongside craftspeople and conservation specialists. The only downside I could see was that, as scholars are hosted by a network of SPAB volunteers, some camping was involved.

The fellowship began in 1930, and the only missed years since then have been for the Second World War and then for covid in 2020. It offers fully funded places to three or four scholars a year and colloquially is considered to give knowledge and experience equivalent to about eight to 10 years of specialist architectural conservation practice. McClary believes there isn’t a cathedral in the country that hasn’t been worked on by one of the scholarship alumni.

One of these alumni, Kristian Foster, was kind enough to chat with me about his experience. It sounded almost unbelievable. 

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