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It couldn't have been a better day to be outside on my first ever venture as a volunteer for the National Trust.

I had agreed to help restore some of the boundaries surrounding a farm near the Wembury coast path.

There were only a few clouds in the sky as the Trust wardens led 16 novice dry stone wall builders along the track leading to New Barton's 600 acre arable and livestock farm.

The path takes you from the Trust car park by the beach at Wembury and along the coast towards Newton Ferrers and Noss Mayo.

It takes 10 minutes and the view along this particular part of south Devon is spectacular on a clear day, with the Mew Stone on one side and the River Yealm on the other.

Tim guides volunteers repairing a dry stone wall

I had always wondered who repairs these solid looking structures, which are covered in moss and lichen, marking the end of one field and the beginning of another.

Historically it would have been farm labourers, using local Devon shale stone from a nearby quarry, to build these hardy walls.

"Nowadays," says warden Tim Bumby, "it's volunteers keen to learn a traditional skill that they can perhaps take away with them and use in their own garden, or on their own land."

Tim is regarded by his colleagues as a dry stone wall expert and once we were confronted by a crumbling wall and a pile of rocks we saw why.

"It's not rocket science," said Tim. "All you have to do is pick a stone and see if it fits.

"You work from the bottom up, using the larger flatter stones first and then filling between the gaps with any loose stones or earth."

There are effectively two sides to each wall with a lot of rubble in the middle.

Dust can be a problem when repairing a wall

"The hardest part when you're repairing a wall is to try and use all the dry stone which has come out of it and that's not always possible," said Tim.

You also have to be prepared to walk away, because as Tim told us, the most frustrating thing about repairing or building a wall is not finding the right shaped stone for the gap.

These unique walls are hundreds of years old and vary across the country, where their style reflects the type of stone available.

They have become part of our history as well as our landscape and support a variety of wildlife, from lizards to small mammals.

As far as the National Trust is concerned they have a significant conservation value and it is committed to preserving as many as it can and to encourage this dying art.

Tim explained: "We're rebuilding sections that have fallen over, but I think that's a process which will always be going on.

"If it's well maintained, repaired when needed, it should last forever."

Volunteers stand back to look at the finished wall

So, how did he think this motley group of volunteers had faired?

"I'm very impressed. These days it's a struggle, people don't quite understand what they're doing because it's not necessarily the most straightforward thing to do.

"It can be quite frustrating trying to find and fit the perfect stone - but not today. We've done very well."

Look out for future National Trust courses - from dry stone walling to hedge laying, it's a way of learning for the future and preserving the past. See the link at the top of this page.

And if you're walking along the cliff path from Wembury and you turn inland and spot a dry stone wall which doesn't look as old as its neighbour, you'll know who helped build it and hopefully it will stand the test of time.