Ellie Jae Dobson awarded William Morris Craft Fellowship

Ellie Jae Dobson, from Bradford, has been awarded the William Morris Craft Fellowship by the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB).

The fellowship is designed to broaden the skills and experience of conservation professionals working with old buildings.

Ms Dobson, who is employed at Ilkley-based Dobson Construction, joined the company as an apprentice in 2018.

Lime plastering and stained glass are among the skills tried by Ms Dobson during her participation in the fellowship. Pictured is Ms Dobson blacksmithing in Sheffield (Image: Supplied)

She has since gained practical skills and hands-on experience working on a variety of projects - including Grade I and Grade II listed buildings.

Ms Dobson said: "My trade is in bricklaying, however living in Yorkshire I have completed more stonework jobs than anything else!

"I applied for the fellowship to really indulge in my craft and better myself at it.

"It’s also been fascinating to try other crafts and meet other conservation enthusiasts who have been perfecting their skills for many years - for me, this is the best way to learn about heritage crafts.

"It’s been an incredible year and the opportunity of a lifetime."

Every year, SPAB selects four craftspeople with a passion for old buildings to take part in the fellowship and sends them on a journey across the UK and Ireland, to deepen their knowledge of traditional building crafts.

Through the fellowship, Ms Dobson has visited buildings including Hampton Court Palace, Glasgow Cathedral, and York Minster, learning about the historic crafts and traditional maintenance and repair techniques required to care for these heritage buildings.

Bryan Atkinson, director of Dobson Construction, said: "Here at Dobson, we take pride in doing what's right for historic buildings, using good conservation practices and appropriate materials to ensure the very best outcomes for our clients.

"Ellie’s skills and passion for these principles is evident, and she is a fantastic ambassador for this important conservation work.

"The Fellowship is very prestigious, with only four craftspeople selected to take part each year.

"We are really proud of Ellie’s achievements, especially at this early stage in her career."

As part of the fellowship, Ms Dobson has tried her hand at traditional skills including stained glass, lime mortar, lime harling, lime plastering, and blacksmithing, as well as expanding her knowledge as a bricklayer by learning the craft of historic brickwork - including making and laying bricks at Hampton Court Palace.