Saturday 31 March 2012

Building on a Slope

This Victorian wall shows how to cope with a steep slope. The rocks are set in courses making it look as though they are all rectangles when many are quite diferent shapes. Top line is very neat and the copes have been carefully placed on steps to end up with a smooth line. Clever stuff.

Tuesday 27 March 2012

My Favourite Place

This is the so called Roman bridge in Glen Lyon Scotland. It was built in the16th century and can still carry light traffic. It is a great favourite of mine and although it has lime mortar I have used the principles to build several dry stone versions.

Friday 23 March 2012

This tree was built by Eric Landman along with his family and many friends as a memorial to his wife Kerry who died last year. She was a great lady and will be sadly missed by me and all those who knew her.

Monday 19 March 2012


This is an attractive piece of work near the entrance to the largest Hotel in my home town of Crieff. I not sure who did the job but it is lookuing good after a couple of years. One or two of the copes are splitting slightly but hopefully this will not get any worse

Thursday 15 March 2012

Little Arch

This small arch in a wall over a ditch near Auchterarder could have been achieved with a single large rock. However to my mind and in the opinion of the client, it looks much more attractive as it is. A oil drum was used as a support of the stones as it was being built. The drum was propped up on a couple of bricks which were knocked away at the end.

Sunday 11 March 2012

Amazing Rock Formations in Slovenia

Boris Cok sent me these photos from a visit he made recently to the North of the country. I believe this must be the effect of water on limestone.

Wednesday 7 March 2012

Another job in Italy

This entrance to my friends property had been erected rather quickly. Gazy the owner wanted it rebuilt. You can see what a difference the two of us made.

Sunday 4 March 2012

This is the Trulli where I was staying last month. It ha d a lovely wood burning stove which was just as well because while I was there Italy had its worst winter for 26 years! Sometimes we just had to sit beside the fire drinking local red wine, eating olives and eating home made bread cooked in an ouside oven.