A skilled craftsman is set to play his part in the conservation of some of the UK’s renowned historic buildings after gaining a place on a prestigious training programme with a royal link.

Miley Walker from East Hanningfield, was selected as part of this year’s intake on The Prince’s Foundation’s Building Craft programme, where he will work with expert craftspeople to take his skills to the next level.

The 19-year-old, a former student of William de Ferrers School, said: “In year seven at school, I used to collect stones. My dad’s mate had a business in stonemasonry and I was interested in what that was.

“When I was 16, I wanted to get out of school. Now, I’m 19 and I’ve got some qualifications under my belt and I’ve been really lucky to get onto this programme with The Prince’s Foundation.

“Woodwork, plastering, and pargetting all goes hand-in-hand. Using all these trades is great fun and learning about them has been really beneficial for me.”

The course starts with an intensive three-week Summer School delivered in London and Ayrshire. Students learn skills such as drawing and geometry and embark on architectural tours during their stint in Shoreditch before heading north to participate in workshops at Dumfries House estate with master craftspeople in stonemasonry, joinery and timber framing, thatching, lime plastering and pargeting. The group then tackled a design workshop on the estate, near Cumnock, in the inspiring surroundings of Valentin’s Education Farm, learning about public consultations, design modelling and technical drawing.

Miley said: “I would like to be in a banker’s shop and work on cathedrals and have my own business. I want to do it all properly, in a traditional way. You look at skyscrapers that have a lifespan of 50 years before being ripped down.

“Castles and churches last hundreds of years and give work to stonemasons, and I like that. Working on cathedrals and making buildings that last, getting my name out there, that’s the aim.”

Students are now on placement at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland for a Live Build project, working alongside construction professionals to gain first-hand experience on site.

They will then move on to placements with master craftspeople working on traditional new building schemes and conservation projects across the UK.

Simon Sadinsky, deputy executive director for education of The Prince’s Foundation at Dumfries House, said: “We believe it is crucial to preserve these valuable skills, which are gradually being lost as the average age of workers in the Historic Buildings sector approaches retirement age.

It’s crucial that we pass on the wisdom and knowledge built up over thousands of years. This course is designed for craftspeople like Miley who are looking to bridge the gap between basic qualifications and becoming a master craftsperson working in the heritage sector.”

Earlier this year, The Prince’s Foundation was formed and is now headquartered at Dumfries House.

The house itself was saved for the nation in 2007 by The Prince of Wales, who used £20million of his charitable foundation’s money to secure the future of the house and estate and use it to help people engage in learning experiences that promote confidence and personal development.