A West Nottinghamshire College brickwork trainer has cemented his place among the very best in the trade after being crowned Super Trowel 2026 champion – earning him the chance to take his skills to Las Vegas.
A jubilant Dale next to his award-winning wall.
Dale Wherton, who teaches the next generation of bricklayers at the college’s Station Park construction campus in Kirkby-in-Ashfield, claimed the prestigious title at the Super Trowel national final at Hertfordshire County Showground after laying 859 bricks in one hour on Saturday 1 August.
The achievement – which sees Dale billed as Britain’s fastest bricklayer – marks the culmination of months of preparation for the tutor, who qualified for the final after impressing during the competition’s regional stages and has used his training for the event to inspire students at the college.
The Super Trowel national final was held at Hertfordshire County Showground.
Super Trowel is regarded as one of Europe’s leading bricklaying competitions and brings together some of the fastest and most highly-skilled tradespeople from the UK and overseas.
Competitors are tested not only on the number of bricks they can lay within the allotted time, but on the accuracy, consistency and overall quality of their workmanship.
Dale was supported throughout his competition preparations by his cousin and former colleague Bradley Edwards, who acts as his brick set-up operative. His role is crucial in ensuring bricks and materials are supplied efficiently, allowing Dale to maintain his rhythm and speed during competition.
Dale at work during the competition.
Dale’s winning performance saw him take the coveted 2026 title and a prize package which includes a new Ford Transit Custom, fully paid for as a lease vehicle with an option to buy it in two years’ time. He was also presented with more than £5,000 worth of tools and machinery from Altrad Belle and other building and construction manufacturers.
The moment that his win was announced.
The victory is particularly special for Dale following an intensive build-up to this summer’s final. Earlier this year he went head-to-head with Guinness World Record-holding bricklayer and two-time Super Trowel champion Charlie Collison in a special challenge at the college’s construction campus on Julias Way, Sutton-in-Ashfield.
With students supporting both bricklayers throughout the hour-long challenge, Dale laid an impressive 951 bricks – just 20 behind Charlie’s 971 – despite losing valuable time when his line snapped shortly after the contest began.
The event gave Dale an opportunity to test himself under competition pressure while also turning his preparations into a live learning experience for students.
Dale has regularly involved learners in his training, giving them the opportunity to observe the speed, accuracy and techniques required at the highest level of the trade.
Dale said: "Winning Super Trowel is an incredible feeling. I went into the final knowing what I was capable of and knowing how much work Brad and I had put into preparing for it, but to actually come away as the winner is something else.
"The support I've had from everyone at the college has been brilliant, as well as from former and returning students who have all been keeping an eye on me on social media. Being able to practise at Station Park and have the students watching and getting involved has made it even more worthwhile because I want them to see just how far you can take this trade if you put the work in.
"It’s been great to see students coming to enrol at the college this week who have passed on their congratulations about my win. It’s clear they’ve been seeing lots of the coverage online, which has both impressed and inspired them.
"To now have the opportunity to go to Las Vegas and compete on an international stage is massive. I'm incredibly proud of what we've achieved and I'm looking forward to seeing where it takes us next."
Dale on stage receiving his prizes and prestigious title.
Head of centre for construction crafts Adam Thompson said: "We’re incredibly proud of Dale. Winning Super Trowel is a fantastic achievement and a real testament to the skill, dedication and hard work he has put into preparing for the competition.
"His practice challenge with Charlie Collison a few weeks ago was a brilliant experience for everyone involved. Dale performed exceptionally well against a world-record holder, but just as importantly, our students were right there alongside them, seeing first-hand the level of skill, focus and determination it takes to compete at the very top.
"That experience is now inspiring our students to have the confidence to put themselves forward for regional and national competitions too. Having someone like Dale teaching them, competing at this level and now winning such a prestigious title shows our learners what is possible and gives them something very real to aspire to."
Dale will now prepare for the next stage of his remarkable journey when he travels with the Super Trowel team to Las Vegas in January 2027 to represent Great Britain at the SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500.
Taking place on 20 January, the international competition will give Dale the opportunity to pit his skills against some of the world’s leading bricklayers – and take the expertise he shares every day with students at West Nottinghamshire College onto the global stage.
Dale with the main prize – a Ford Transit Custom - a lease vehicle which he can purchase in two years.
Director of Super Trowel Jack Dawson said: "Dale’s journey is exactly what Super Trowel is about. He’s competed with us for a number of years and, after finishing towards the bottom of the field last year, he went away, put the hours in and came back determined to have another go. To see that work take him all the way to becoming the 2026 Super Trowel Champion is something we’re incredibly proud of.
"As well as the title, Dale takes home a new Ford Transit Custom, courtesy of our headline sponsor Ford. For a working tradesperson it’s a pretty special prize, and with Pro Power Onboard it’s a van that can genuinely become part of his everyday working life.
"The journey doesn’t stop here. In January, Dale will travel with the Super Trowel team to Las Vegas to represent Great Britain at the SPEC MIX BRICKLAYER 500, alongside one of our junior competitors. It’s a huge opportunity to put British bricklaying and the talent within our trade on an international stage.
"But what makes Dale’s story particularly important to us is what he’s giving back. He’s now teaching the next generation, he’s helped students prepare for competition and he’s always been willing to share his experience with younger competitors coming through.
"That’s a huge part of what we want Super Trowel to achieve. The trades offer skilled, rewarding careers and an incredible community. By holding our regional competitions at colleges, bringing experienced tradespeople and students together and working with the industry to donate competition materials back into training, we want young people to see where a career in the trades can take them.
"Dale is proof of that. From coming back for another shot at Super Trowel to becoming British champion and now heading to Las Vegas, his story shows what can happen when skill, hard work and determination come together."
You can watch Dale at the Super Trowel competition in the video below: