Cymrodoriaeth Grefft William Morris/ William Morris Craft Fellowship

Cymrodoriaeth Grefft William Morris

Mae Paul Walters, sef plastrwr sy’n arbenigo mewn calch o Sir Gaerfyrddin wedi ennill Cymrodoriaeth Grefft William Morris (William Morris Craft Fellowship).

Rhoddwyd y wobr hon i Paul, sy’n byw yng Ngors-las, mewn digwyddiad mawreddog yn Llundain yr wythnos ddiwethaf.

Ers 1987 mae’r Gymdeithas er Gwarchod Hen Adeiladau (Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings – SPAB) wedi sefydlu’r Gymrodoriaeth er mwyn meithrin cenhedlaeth newydd o grefftwyr rhagorol sy’n meddu ar y wybodaeth a’r arbenigedd i drosglwyddo’r sgiliau hanfodol o weithio gyda defnyddiau hanesyddol.

Dechreuodd siwrne Paul o blastro â chalch wrth gyflawni NVQ Lefel 3 mewn Plastro (Treftadaeth) fel rhan o Gynllun Bwrsariaeth Canolfan Tywi Cyngor Sir Caerfyrddin. Ers ennill yr NVQ Lefel 3, mae bellach yn rhedeg ei fusnes llwyddiannus ei hun – Just Lime Ltd.

Roedd brwdfrydedd parhaus Paul i wella ei grefft wedi’i arwain at gyflwyno cais am y cynllun Cymrodoriaeth sydd wedi’i lunio i feithrin a datblygu’r sgiliau ymarferol sydd eu hangen i ofalu am hen adeiladau.

Ym mis Mawrth 2017, dechreuodd Paul a thri o’i gymrodyr ar raglen chwe mis o ymweld â safleoedd, gweithdai a’r stiwdios.

Gan ddechrau gydag wythnos yn Ne-ddwyrain Lloegr, aethant ati i ymweld â phrosiectau megis Eglwys Gadeiriol Caergaint, Mynwent Parc Abney yn Llundain a Phalas Hampton Court.

Cawsant gyfle i ymweld â chestyll yn Ynysoedd Mewnol Heledd, helpu i roi gwellt ar doi yn Ne-orllewin Lloegr ac atgyweirio adfeilion melinau yn Swydd Derby. Dangosodd crefftwyr medrus, sydd eisoes wedi sefydlu gyrfaoedd yn y maes, dechnegau adeiladau traddodiadol iddynt.

Dywedodd Paul, “Rwyf wedi cyfarfod â rhai o grefftwyr mwyaf gwybodus a brwdfrydig y wlad yn ystod y cynllun hwn. Mae wedi bod yn brofiad gwych.”

Dywedodd y Cynghorydd Peter Hughes Griffiths, Aelod o Fwrdd Gweithredol y Cyngor dros Ddiwylliant, Chwaraeon a Thwristiaeth: “Hoffwn longyfarch Paul Walters ar ennill gwobr Cymrodoriaeth Grefft William Morris ac ar gael y cyfle i fireinio ei sgiliau ymhellach.

“Mae hefyd yn tystio i’r gwaith da sy’n cael ei gyflawni gan ein staff yng Nghanolfan Tywi i sicrhau bod y sgiliau traddodiadol sydd eu hangen arnom i ofalu am ein hadeiladau hanesyddol yn cael eu trosglwyddo.”

Pennawd: Paul Walters (ail ar y chwith) yn derbyn Cymrodoriaeth Grefft William Morris.

William Morris Craft Fellowship

Carmarthenshire lime plastering specialist Paul Walters has been awarded the William Morris Craft Fellowship.

Paul, who lives in Gorlas, was presented with the award at a prestigious event in London last week.

Since 1987 the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) has organised the Fellowship to foster a new generation of outstanding craftspeople with the knowledge and expertise to pass on essential skills for working with historic materials.

Paul’s lime plastering journey started with the NVQ3 heritage plastering Bursary Scheme at Carmarthenshire County Council’s Tywi Centre. Since gaining his NVQ3 he now runs his own successful business- Just Lime Ltd.

Paul’s passion for continually improving his practice led him to apply for the Fellowship scheme that is designed to nurture and develop the hands-on skills needed to care for old buildings.

In March 2017 Paul and his three fellow Fellows began their six-month itinerary of site, workshop and studio visits.

Starting with a week in the south east of England they visited projects at Canterbury Cathedral, the atmospheric Abney Park Cemetery in London and Hampton Court Palace.

They visited castles in the Inner Hebrides, helped with thatching in the West Country and repairing ruined mills in Derbyshire. They learnt about traditional building techniques from skilled craftsmen and women who have already established careers in the field.

Paul said “During the scheme I have met some of the country’s most knowledgeable and passionate crafts people. It has been a fantastic opportunity.”

Council executive board member for culture, sport and tourism Cllr Peter Hughes Griffiths said: “I’d like to congratulate Paul Walters on being awarded the William Morris Craft Fellowship and having the opportunity to further hone his skills.

“It is also testimony to the good work being carried out by our staff at the Tywi Centre to ensure that the traditional skills we need to look after our historic buildings are passed on.”