A well built, natural,
dry stone wall will last generations and will really enhance the look of
your garden, terrace or boundary. They are also a sanctuary for wildlife,
providing a habitat for; voles, birds, toads, butterflies, insects and mosses
and lichens.
Dry stone construction is best
known in the context of stone walls, traditionally used for the
boundaries of fields and churchyards, or as retaining walls for
terracing, but dry stone sculptures, buildings, bridges, and other structures
also exist.
The art of dry stone walling was inscribed in
2018 on the UNESCO representative list of the intangible
cultural heritage of humanity, for dry stone walls in countries such as France, Greece, Italy, Croatia, Switzerland and Spain.
It is very
common in many historic parts of the UK including of course The Cotswolds.
A wall's style and
method of construction will vary, depending on the type of stone available, its
intended use and local tradition. Most older walls are constructed from stones
and boulders cleared from the fields during preparation for
agriculture (field stones) but many also from stone quarried nearby. For
modern walls, quarried stone is almost always used. The type of wall built will
depend on the nature of the stones available.
One type of wall
is called a "double" wall and is constructed by placing two rows of
stones along the boundary to be walled. The foundation stones are ideally set
into the ground so as to rest firmly on the subsoil. The rows are composed of
large flattish stones, diminishing in size as the wall rises. Smaller stones
may be used as chocks in areas where the natural stone shape is more rounded.
The walls are built up to the desired height layer-by-layer (course by course)
and, at intervals, large tie-stones or through stones are
placed which span both faces of the wall and sometimes project. These have the
effect of bonding what would otherwise be two thin walls leaning against each
other, greatly increasing the strength of the wall. Diminishing the width of
the wall as it gets higher, as traditionally done in Britain, also strengthens
the wall considerably. The voids between the facing stones are carefully packed
with smaller stones (filling, hearting).
The final layer on the top of the
wall also consists of large stones, called capstones, coping stones or copes.
As with the tie stones, the capstones span the entire width of the wall and
prevent it breaking apart. In some areas, such as South Wales, there is a
tradition of placing the coping stones on a final layer of flat stones slightly
wider than the top of the wall proper (coverbands).
In addition to gates a wall may contain
smaller purposely built gaps for the passage or control of wildlife and livestock such
as sheep. The smaller holes usually no more than 8 inches in height are called
'Bolt Holes' or 'Smoots'. Larger ones may be between eighteen and 24 inches in
height, these are called a 'Cripple Hole'
Duncan Burnell is a dry stone
waller located on the edge of the Cotswolds who uses time-honoured walling
techniques to produce attractive and durable dry stone walls. He is trained by
Cotswold Rural Skills and The Dry Stone Walling Association where he is also a
professional member.
