Dry Stone Walling

Walls in Iceland

2012-02-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

This pit in Iceland combines mortared work with dry stone. I like it. More examples from Iceland to follow.

Walls in Switzerland 3

2012-01-28T00:00:00.000-08:00

This amazing wall up in the mountains was built in the 19th century to deflect avelanches away from a village and the railway line.
Next series will be from Iceland.

Dry Stone Bridge in Canada

2012-01-24T00:00:00.000-08:00

This lovely wee bridge was constructed by a group of enthusiasts in October. For details of the work go to my facebook dry stone walling site.

Walls in Switzerland 2

2012-01-20T00:00:00.000-08:00

The mountain tracks in this beautiful country are fantastic and must have required many years of dedicated struggles to achieve what we sometimes take for granted around the world.

Walls in Switzerland

2012-01-16T00:00:00.000-08:00

This corbelled seat and area for a tap with space for a bucket is in the garden of Dani Mettler who lives near Berne. His work involves helping farmers to protect their animals from attacks by wolves and bears.
I shall publish more photos of examples from Switzerland. See entries for 20th and 24th January.

Walls in Japan 3A

2012-01-15T14:55:00.000-08:00

Blanche pointed out a dragon in the Last entry.

Walls in Japan 3

2012-01-12T00:00:00.000-08:00

This photo was taken by Evan Oxland while on a visit to Japan last year.

Walls in Japan 2

2012-01-08T00:00:00.000-08:00

These steps and wall were built around 500 years ago. Photo by Turuki Kamiya sent via Aya Suzuki.
The next entry on 12 January was taken by Evan Oxland during his visit to Japan.

Walls in Japan

2012-01-04T00:00:00.000-08:00

This is the first of a series of photographs of walls from Japan. This was by Turuki Kamiya sent via Aya Suzuki. The entry on 8th January shows a 500 year old castle wall.

Goat on Funky seat

2012-01-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

This photo is to cheer everyone up if they are feeling a bit blue after all the celebrations over Christmas and New Year.
Thanks to Scott George for building the seat and looking after his lovely goats so well.
A very Happy and Prosperous New Year to All.

Strange Lump of Rock

2011-12-30T00:00:00.000-08:00

This strange looking lump of rock was found beside pebbles on the riverside. Does anyone know what it can be? It is about 10 cms. across.

Summer Time in Mid-Winter

2011-12-26T00:00:00.000-08:00

It is refreshing at this time of year in Scotland to remember what flowers look like! This is a photo of a limestone wall in Switzerland sent by Gerhard Stoll. On the 30th Dec. a strange rock , a little problem.

A Merry Christmas

2011-12-22T00:00:00.000-08:00

Many thanks to the great guy who built this tree and to the Canadian winter for helping to decorate it.

Sarcophagus for a Famous Dog.

2011-12-18T00:00:00.000-08:00

This most unusual burial place was built mainly by Evan Oxland and Akira Inman to commemorate a Canadian National champion South African Ridgeback. The structure is roughly in the shape of a kennel with the unusual addition of a ridge of small stone down the centre of the roof. The dog was buried below the large flat rock.
The entry for 22nd December is from the garden of Scott George.

Round Rocks

2011-12-14T00:00:00.000-08:00

This wall was built by Scott George and Dan Pearl. It shows great skill to produce such a fine job from what must have been very difficult rocks to work with. They have carefully selected larger rocks to make a really strong corner. This photo was shown recently on http://www.dswac.ca/ website. Well worth a visit to find out what is happening in North America.

Wallend in Skye

2011-12-10T00:00:00.000-08:00

This cheek end with a couple of large rocks and a flat cope,was built by Shona MacCleod . Tricky stuff to combine these odd shapes with other flatter stones. More of Shona's work later. The entry on 14th December shows a wall in USA cleverly built with round rocks.

Another single rock.

2011-12-06T00:00:00.000-08:00

This end of a wall breaks some of the traditional rules. Here I stood a large rock on top of a large flat base. This worked only because the base of the upright was large enough not to move. However it did have a curved bottom which required small wedges at the front edge. These had to be carefully chosen to ensure that they would not be crushed by the weight above them.
Entry on 6th December shows a wallend on the Isle of Skye.

Wall ends

2011-12-02T00:00:00.000-08:00

There are many ways to build a cheek end of a wall. Normally in the UK there is an upright post for a gate , which means that the stonework has to be perpendicular. A single large rock with at least one third of it underground is a very satisfying way to achieve this. This example is in a field close to Auchterarder in Perthshire shows how to deal with a fence which does not continue from the wallend.
The next few entries will show other ways of finishing a wall.

Welsh Clapper Bridge

2011-11-27T00:00:00.000-08:00

Sean Adcock sent me these photos of an old clapper bridge in Cwm Llan Nant, Gwnyant. Sean's wife Brenda is testing it. The health and safety rules we have now would surely prevent this type of build. Yet I doubt whether anyone has ever fallen off.

Shepherds Stones in Slovenia.

2011-11-23T00:00:00.000-08:00

My friend Boris Cok ( pronounced chalk) sent me this in an email. On the north-western hills near our village they are on the tops many flat eroded stones with holes with different diameters. At least about 200 years ago or more the shephers begun to used them to observe the sun angle in the afternoon. They lifted them upright and placed them into cracked ground stones. The position of flat side of the stone was towards the sunset. They observed the position of the sun through different holes . When they saw the sun in the defined hole it was time to take the flock to home or sheltered fold. So these rocks where used as sun dials. Some of them are also 150 cm high and about 60 cm wide; the thickness is about 10-15 cm. They called in our dialect "Štuglje", in Slovenian the meaning is "skozi to glej" in English "look through this!"

The entry on 27th Nov. shows a bridge that would probably be illegal in 2011.

Hollow and the Hump.

2011-11-19T00:00:00.000-08:00

Last year I built a wall close to home at Dolleriemuir. With the left over stone this year with help from John Shaw-Rimmington we created a hollow and a hump for the children to play on and in.. They seem to love it. I like it because it combines function with John's attractive design.
The entry on 19th November is from Slovenia.

Middle East

2011-11-15T00:00:00.000-08:00

Here is a bit of detail from another stone village in Wadi Bih called Sabtayn. You can clearly see the building to the left still has wooden beams on the roof. It is predominantly dry stone walling. Large flat slabs were used on the roofs like tiles, around the edges, to deflect water from the foundations. Wooden beams were placed across the roof span, plus other vegetal matter and then a mud-based mortar. Thanks to Michele Ziolkowski for this photo.
The entry on Nov. 19th shows one way to use up excess rock and keep the children happy.

Stone Balancing at the Festival.

2011-11-11T00:00:00.000-08:00

During the Roctober Fest 2011 there was a fine demonstration of stone balancing by Peter Ridel.

Venus Gate

2011-11-07T00:00:00.001-08:00

Thsi Venus gate was created at the entrance to the amphitheatre. Very cleverly a structure was built on a plinth behing the portal. This looked as though the rocks in the gap had been moved outside. See more from the four day event on 11th November.

Kaleidoscope in Stone.

2011-11-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

This amazing concept was designed and built by Star Rock Builder Thea Alvin at the DSWAC festival. Through the aperture one could get a great view of the Venus gate built at the same time. Thanks to Jason Hoffman for the photo.

An Amphitheatre!

2011-10-30T00:00:00.000-07:00

I asked John Shaw-Rimmington what was planned for the 2011 Festival.. A Venus-gate and an Amphitheatre he commented casually. I knew what one was but had no idea about the other. Here is the theatre after only four days . I couldn't believe how beautiful it was and how quickly it was accomplished. We sat, about 100 of us, listening to wonderful magic in the warm tree shadow slanting evening sunshine. The whole area was transformed beyond recognition. So much more was going on at the same time. See the next few entries for the Venus-gate the plinth, the stone balancing, the kaleidoscope etc. Wowee. I am so glad that I was there. Oh I forgot to mention the marvelous food. and beer provided by guess who, Rock Hammer.

Before and After Wall at the Hart House Festival Canada

2011-10-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

I was privileged to attend the recent Rocktober festival organised by DSWAC . The area where the activity happened this year was at Hart House Farm, a beautiful retreat in the countryside for students from Toronto University. Several fascinating examples of dry stone work were created, from traditional walls to artistic interpretations of the art by highly skilled masons. This and next few entries show some detail of what was achieved in just 4 days.

Hole in One

2011-10-22T00:00:00.000-07:00

I was very surprised to find this lost golf ball when I uncovered an old passage in a wall being repaired. The golfer had obviously not thought that his ball could have gone through a dry stone wall!

Dry Stone in a Mature Garden.

2011-10-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

This little feature built by landscaper Duncan Haddow shows how a small stretch of dry stone can enhance the appearance of a mature garden without loosing any of its character.
An unusual story from the world of golf on 22nd October.

Helix in Canada

2011-10-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

John Shaw-Rimmington has organised the construction of this amazing structure that he named the Rubble Helix. Although dry stone, it is sensibly sitting on a floating bed of concrete. I remember seeing this idea tried out in dominoes in John's kitchen. I was fairly sure it was impossible on a large scale. Happily I have been proved wrong.
From large to small see the entry on 28th October.

Minack Theatre in Cornwall

2011-10-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

This wonderful stage setting on the coast of Cornwall was the brainchild of Rowena Cade. Miss Cade and her gardener made a terrace and rough seating for a local performance . Although Miss Cade died in 1983 the theatre is still used and has been added to considerably. For more info go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/minack_Theatre
The entry on 14th October shows something that I thought would be impossible.

Stone fence

2011-10-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

As many of you will be aware in the USA dry stone walls are known as stone fences. Thes photos sent by Sean Adcock are a good example of the term being taken literally. Sean tells me that the horizontals are sixteen feet sections of split granite, from Bantam Conneticut. Possibly the step area may have been for mounting horses. Quite spectacular!
Post on 10th October is of the Minack theatre in Cornwall.

Above the Glacier

2011-10-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you just have to look around and realise what a wonderful job we have building dry stone walls in amazing places. Thanks to Duncan Haddow for taking this photo.
Entry on 6th October shows a stone fence from the USA.

Job Done.

2011-09-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

Well I was happy that the work was completed and that the client was happy with it. Now waiting for the planting. Thanks to Dieter Schneider for the photo.
The entry on 2nd October shows how sometimes we end up in wonderful places.

Training Course in the Swiss Hills

2011-09-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

This before and after shows the result of the fine work by a group of trainee Landscape Gardeners. They were learning the skill of dry stone walling under the direction of Dieter Schneider. The money for the project was raised by local conservationists in the town of Liestal.
Next post shows a happy waller. 28th September

Rocktober Festival in Canada

2011-09-20T00:00:00.001-07:00

Once again in Ontario I am attending the annual international walling festival that draws dry stone enthusiasts from across the globe as well as Canada.
Each year skilled volunteer craftsmen and women help one another complete an unusual dry stone structure during the four days of the Canadian Thanksgiving holiday weekend (the second weekend in October) The event is as much a celebration for the wallers and a time to get together as it is an audience-drawing phenomena, people come from miles to gather and watch a permanent structure being built before their very eyes each year.
It's free.
There are audio visual presentations by well known stone experts. Live music, stone balancing, competitions, trade booths, unusual children's events, gourmet food prepared by a professional Toronto executive chef for all the participants and seminar students, as well as several walling workshops taught by instructors certified with the DSWA(UK) .
Wallers who participated in this DSWAC event have constructed such diversified things as dry laid ruins and bridges as well as a tribute to one of Canada's best writers, Farley Mowat.
This year the event will be hosted by the University of Toronto in the scenic Caledon Hills area, at their historic Hart House Farm property. The plan is to build an unusual amphitheatre into the side of a hill with a venus-gate arched entrance way built into the lower stage wall. I am so looking forward to going back to Canada on Oct 7 — 10 meeting old friends and making new ones.
Thea Alvin, Sean Adcock, Dave Goulder, Jason Hoffman, Peter Reidel and Mariana Cook are some of the guests lined up for the 2011 Canadian festival, they and others will be demonstrating and sharing their knowledge and expertise with visitors over the four days. Here are photos from some of the previous events..

Please visit Dry Stone Walling Across Canada www.dswa.ca for more details.
My entry on 24th September shows a before and after of a dry stone walling course in Switzerland.

It's Turf at the Top!

2011-09-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

To finish off the top of the wall at Achalader in Scotland, I used a double section of sod. The first one is placed on the wall with the grass side down and the second one is laid on top of this with the grass on top. This cover for a wall may only last about 50 years but I like the appearance as it adds colour to the work.

The entry on 20th September tells about Rocktoberfest in Canada. A must for me each year. It is great.

Ingliston Bridge

2011-09-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

This bridge was built along with Irwin Campbell and his DSWA West of Scotland Branch. It was part of a Scottish Garden Fair and sadly was only there for a few days. On 16th September you can see me finishing off a wall round a field (a year and a half of work).

Castellated Copes

2011-09-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

This wall was rebuilt with a DSWA New Members Day several years ago. This type of top is often used in Scotland on the boundary walls of large estates. The post on 12th September shows a delightful little bridge that only lasted a few days!!

The Garden Wall Restored.

2011-09-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

This is the same garden as the previous post. I had to remove a huge amount of soil and replace it with rock. Perhaps that is part of the reason why the retaining wall only lasted for 45 years. Next entry on 8th September shows an unusual type of coping.

Weather damage this year in Scotland

2011-08-30T11:59:00.000-07:00

This retaining wall in a neighbours garden was built with the house in 1964. Until this severe winter it had held up fairly well though there were some bulges. The hard frost affected the soil which had gradually gathered within the wall. This caused the first collapse. In May we had an abnormally wet Month and the sudden flash floods caused the further deterioration.

My next posting on 3rd September will show the repair which I am working on this week.

Tigh na Cailleach Rebuilt

2011-08-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

Here it is the house rebuilt for the wee people of Glen Lyon. Using techniques which I learned in Slovenia,(thanks to the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust) we built a double skin wall with corbelling at the top to support a 300 year old chunk of oak which had a slope of about 5cms from front to back to shed water. On top of that we laid flat rocks then covered the whole roof with peaty turf which is quite acidic and will help to preserve the wood. The helpers were Alex and Ashley Dudley Smith who provided the food, Tom and Pauline Beel who brought the wood, and Mel O'Flynn who took some great photos. All carted rocks from the burn up to the site off and on for two days.
Just as we had laid the last turf in walked Sharon MacLeod, a Canadian living in Boston who is an expert in Celtic literature and traditions. She sang a very moving and beautiful song of welcome in Gaelic. This was an amazing coincidence, a happening from the other side of the world from a lady who knew of the stones but had never seen them before. We all went home feeling tired and very happy.
Thanks also to Jamie Grant for some of these photos.
Only afterwards did we notice the face on the guardian rock in the doorway.

Tigh na Cailleach

2011-08-24T13:03:00.000-07:00

Here is how the house of the wee stone people of Glen Lyon looked before 6 caring folk made there way up to the remote site to repair it. We had to deal with heavy rain , poor tracks and hoards of midges but we managed and thoroughly enjoyed our trip. We finished the job tired but happy. No one knows when the house was built but we do know that we are helping to continue a tradition which has been maintained for thousands of years.The stone family, ranging in height from the mother ( Cailleach ) around 45 cms high to her youngest child about 10 cms, is taken out in the Spring and returned to their shelter in the Autumn. This helps to ensure that the crops will grow again successfully the following year.
The next entry on 26th August shows the result of the repair and tells of a visitor out of the intermittent blue who knew about and cared about these remote stones from the other side of the world.

Neat Garden Feature

2011-08-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

Findlay Haddow built this small double triangle with some left over rocks from a raised bed. Often the simple structures can be very effective.
Next entry on 25th August tell of a journey to a remote Scottish Highland Glen to help carry on an ancient tradition.

Saving the tree in the Park

2011-08-17T01:17:00.000-07:00

This other build by Struan Donaldson shows how a dry stone wall can be used to enhance the area without removing the tree. The copes have been mortared but this is often essential in a public place.

Using large rocks as wall ends.

2011-08-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

This wall was built by local waller Struan Donaldson. The area is used by heavy lorries and a large rock carefully placed is a perfect way to protect the wall but not only that it looks good.

Ancient field drains in Yorkshire

2011-08-11T00:00:00.000-07:00

This field drain was uncovered by Tracey Blackwell while rebuilding a wall in Yorkshire. These old drains are amazing and must have taken many hours to build and required a great deal of digging when the fields were drained to improve the area for growing crops. Often they are several feet below the surface of fields and must have been planned with great precision.
Tomorrows post shows the sensible use of a large Rock.

Flat stones from a farm

2011-08-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

Several years ago I found these two round rocks close to a deserted farmhouse. Both have holes in the centre. Hollowed out on the rougher top and smooth on the underside. Does anyone know what they could have been used for?
The post on 11th August shows field drains in Yorkshire.

Another fine wall by Andy Loudon

2011-08-03T14:56:00.000-07:00

This wall with the inset has the feeling for me of an modern artist's painting.
The post tomorrow is a problem.

Stone couch

2011-07-30T00:00:00.000-07:00

This comfortable seat was built by the Central Scottish branch of the DSWA. Best in the summer !

Good way to use a large rock!

2011-07-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

A family picnic just before the work started.

Walling in Japan

2011-07-22T00:00:00.000-07:00

Evan Oxland sent me this wonderful photo of an area which he visited while in Japan recently. I would love to do an exchange with a dry stone waller there to see and to learn what differences and similarities there are between the methods in Scotland and Japan.
Next post on 26July shows a family picnic!

Ireland of old

2011-07-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

This tranquil scene was sent by Shelagh Lippy. The photo was taken by her friend Dara.
22nd July we see a wall in Japan

Problem with a Foundation Rock

2011-06-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

This stone had been placed at the foot of a wall which required repair. From the outside it appeared to be perfect but the second photo shows that it was sitting on a triangle . This meant that after time the rock had slipped out of position .Looks are not everything!
The next post on2nd. July shows the Brochs of Scotland whole and in section.

Well in Slovenia.

2011-06-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

Good quality drinking water is a big problem in the Kras region of Slovenia. Because it is a limestone area the surface water always finds its way down into deep fissures in the bedrock. There are no rivers or streams on the surface.The small town of Lokev is named after this well which is situated in the hills around 1 Kilometer from the houses down on the farm land. Each house has a cistern for rain water but this was and still is used for watering the plants and animals. Until the 20th century the residents walked up to the well each day for clean drinking water from the sandstone rock in the area.

Castle in the Rocks

2011-06-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

This Slovenian amazing castle in the rocks, was occupied for many years by a brigand who seemed to be unassailable. Although under siege for over a year he had 13 kilometers of passages to retreat into and also access to open country for fresh food unknown to the attackers. He was finally killed when one of his men betrayed him . He went each morning at the same time to his toilet in an overhang and he was caught in the act by well directed cannon fire!

The next entry explains the problem of drinking water in a limestone area. 20:06:11

North American Repair

2011-06-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

This fine example of Deeside walling was substantially done by a group of wallers from Canada and the USA who were visiting the Royal estate at Balmoral. You can see what they were faced with when they arrived on site.
The entry on 16th June tells the story of an unusual Castle in Slovenia.

Walling in Slovenia

2011-06-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

One feature of the dry walls in the Kras region was that there was almost no batter. For those of us brought up in the British tradition this is quite unusual but not unique. In Yorkshire I have seen two metre high walls built by monks in the 15th century which had no batter. It would seem that the apparent requirment for the slope depends on the purpose of the wall. When there are no animals attempting to climb over there seems to be no need for batter.
The next post shows work done on the Balmoral estate by Canadian wallers.

The Smiling Hiska

2011-06-04T09:51:00.000-07:00

I was involved in the almost total rebuild of this 100 year old shepherds hut. After the completion one of the builders Jelena inscribed our names on a rock close to the entrance. Sadly she left out her own despite making a major contribution to the work. All the huts had a name and this one was called the Smiling Hiska.

Dry Stone Hut in Slovenia

2011-05-31T00:00:00.000-07:00

The largest hut I visited while in Slovenia was in the garden of master builder Mitja. I liked this because of the flat roof and the domed interior. Mitja along with his father Adolf had constructed many fine walls with limestone. I joined a group of students walling on the property and we discovered how tricky the stone was to work with. Around 12 people could comfortably shelter in here.

Childrens small house.

2011-05-27T00:00:00.000-07:00

Many of the dry stone huts in Slovenia were built for the children of the farmers, their job was to help look after the sheep and cattle. The shelters were used to protect the kids from the bitterly cold wind (the Burja). This can blow at any time of year even in the normally warm summer climate of the Kras region. As a demonstration a group of local children from the school in Lokev constructed this shelter in one day in a garden with only a little guidance. The roof is carefully built with each stone sloping away from the centre up to the apex to shed rain water.

Ice House in Slovenia

2011-05-23T00:00:00.000-07:00

This amazing dry stone feature was built in the mid 19th century. It was approximately 17 metres deep and had a wooden roof supported from the central mortared column. During the winter, 15 farms in the area collected large quantities of ice which was placed in the pit and covered with layers of leaves and straw. Throughout the year the blocks of ice were sold to the owners of fishing boats in the area of Trieste to help preserve the catch. The stonework is of a very high standard and rises perpendicularly from the base. There were entry points near the base for access. At the time Slovenia was a part of the Austrian Hungarian Empire.

Steps in France

2011-05-17T00:00:00.001-07:00

When I was building these steps I was asked to include a wheelbarrow ramp. This was my first but luckily the rocks chosen by Scottish master craftsman Irwin Cambell were perfect for the job. The two photos show what a difference flowers can make to stonework.
My next few entries will be about some of the features which I came across while on a working visit to Slovenia.

A Fine Arch

2011-05-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

This delightful arch was built recently by Yorkshire waller Tracey Blackwell. It was designed as a test piece and I wish her every success in the assessment of the piece. Have a look at this video of the removal of the support for the arch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qheU8ZZTngE

11th May shows a Scottish blackhouse built in Canada.

Monster at St.Fillans

2011-05-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

This painted rock is on the roadside near the village of St.Fillans in Perthshire Scotland. A local family keeps it fresh and it is known as the crocodile.

The post on 8th May is an beautiful arch built with Yorkshire sandstone.

Singling

2011-04-30T00:00:00.000-07:00

This wall which is well over 150 years old is found on the old track from Crieff to Perth. The style is not typical of walls built since Victorian times in this part of Scotland. The local rock is large basaltic chunks which lend themselves to what we call Singling Dyke. Most stones are large enough to go right through the wall and tend to be built standing up rather than laid flat as is normal in a Double dyke.
See a monster on the 3rd of may!

Village of St.Fillans

2011-04-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

This is the deserted village of St.Fillans close to Loch Earn in Scotland. Apparently the present village with the same name was built when the well became infected.

The 'new' name of the village refers to an early Celtic missionary from Ireland called Faolan, known as St Fillan (said to be descended from Nadraech, King of Munster).
St. Fillan established his headquarters on the nearby 600ft peak of Dundurn (also known as Dunfillan or St. Fillan's Hill) early in the 6th century, from where he set about converting the local Picts to Christianity. Dunfillan, an isolated craggy hill, was considered a shrine for many centuries; devotees visiting the well near its summit (said to cure barreness) until the 19th century.
The post on 30th April shows a wall built mainly with single stones on top of each other.

Mystery Rock

2011-04-22T00:00:00.000-07:00

I found this triangular stone upside down as a cope on a wall which I was repairing, built roughly 100 years ago. Does anyone recognise what it could be? I have had two suggestions, the first is that it is a hollowed out rock for grinding corn by hand. The other suggestion is that it could be what was used below ground to support an upright wooden post. I would be delighted to hear from anyone about its possible use and ideas about its possible age.The yellow ruler is 1 foot or 30cms. long.
My next post is a photo of a deserted Highland township at St.Fillans in Perthshire,Scotland.

Waller enjoying life

2011-04-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

This photo of John Shaw-Rimmington shows him in his element. Dry stone walling is a wonderful job with each day giving the sense of having achieved something which makes the world a better place. It is also a profession which provides a challenge mentally and phsically. OK there are times when it is cold or wet but these are far outweighed by the warm lovely days often spent in outstanding places. For information about his activities in Canada go to http://www.dswac.ca/
The entry on 22nd April is a mysterious rock which was built into a wall.

Minature Wall

2011-04-13T11:31:00.000-07:00

Recently I attended a dinner which was designed as a thank you to myself and Presedent Ian Dewar, who were both founder members of our local DSWA branch. We were presented with minature walls. The one shown here was built by Joyce Anderson. What a brilliant thing to have. To give an idea of scale the wall is 25cm long (10 inches).
The post on 18th April is a testament to dry stone walling.

Egg at Canada Blooms 2011

2011-04-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

This interesting feature was designed by Reid Snow and built by him along with Sean Donnelly, Dean Mc.Lellan and Issac Kirwin . Fer more information go to http://www.drystoneguild.com/
The entry on 14th April shows a minature wall.

Arch at the Boston Flower show

2011-04-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

This photo was sent to me by Phil O'Donnell . The arch was errected by New England Land Artisan as part of the Boston Flower Show 2011.A very attractive feature. For more details about Phil's work contact him on nelandartisan@comcast.net
Next posting is from Canada in Bloom.

Time for Coffee

2011-04-02T00:00:00.001-07:00

Now I love my job. But just occasionally when I get to work and look around I am thankful to be self employed. It is time for coffee and a bacon roll beside a warm fire. I shall make up for it in the summer.

Curved Wall by Chris Barclay

2011-03-29T00:00:00.000-07:00

This curve beside a greenhouse is part of a garden being landscaped by Christopher William Barclay. A shape like this is quite tricky to achieve as much of it has to be done by eye. Using strings tends to result in angles appearing instead of a smooth surface.

Next entry shows the hardship which workers sometimes have to endure working further North in Canada.

Kissing gates

2011-03-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

The top picture was sent to me by Sean Adcock it shows a brilliant use of Welsh slate to create a Kissing gate.The second photo is another gate

close to my home town, a Victorian Kissing gate. It must be quite a long time since it was used and sadly most of the stone from the original adjoining walls has been removed. However there is a crop of modern houses nearby and some of them have very attractive rockeries. Probably where some of the rocks went. Recycling is much preferable to dumping.
The entry on 28th April is a curved wall built by Chris Barclay.

Stone Money

2011-03-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

Rai stones are large circular stone disks (coins if you like) carved out of limestone with a large hole in the middle they may weigh up to several tons. They were used by Yap islanders in Micronesia for social transactions such as marriage, inheritance, political deals, sign of an alliance, ransom of the battle dead or just in exchange for food. The value of the stone was based not just on their size and craftsmanship but also on their history. On one occasion a stone, being transported by canoe, was dropped into the sea it was never recovered but everyone assumed that it was still there so it continued to be circulated. With the introduction of Iron tools in the 19th century a form of inflation set in and the stones became of less value. The attached images are open source from Wikipedia so you can find more information there. Thanks to Chris Haddow for bringing these very interesting items to my attention.

The entry on 25th March is a kissing gate.

More from Danny Woodward

2011-03-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

This photo shows another example of the way Danny combines steps with walls using a mixture of coursing and strong uprights. I really like this type of landscaping and look forward to seeing the same area later when the planting is complete. For molre information about Danny's work contact him on nonservum@hotmail.com
The entry on18th March shows amazing "coins" .

An old problem with trees

2011-03-13T00:00:00.000-08:00

I have recently had to do a repair on a farm near home. A couple of hundred years ago a line of trees were planted, close to, but at the time seemingly far enough away from the wall not to do any damage. Nowadays that estates do not want to chop down beautiful mature trees I often have to deal with the long term result. This involves bridging large roots and sometimes putting in a lintel to give the tree freedom to grow for another fifty years or so.
The entry on 17th March will be another example from the work of Danny Woodward.

Danny Woodward

2011-03-09T01:33:00.000-08:00

This is a fine example of the effect that Danny Woodward can achieve with his dry stone work. I have the feeling looking at this photo that the steps are flowing peacefully from the walls.

Another Australian Wall

2011-03-06T23:19:00.000-08:00

This photo of a cleverly built wall was sent to me by Duncan Haddow . He saw it when visiting a park in Queensland. This is well done with what looks like very irregular blocks of rock. Takes considerable skill to end up with a neat wallend and a flat top using this type of material.

Walls in Australia.

2011-03-03T04:11:00.000-08:00

This wall was photographed by my son Duncan. He saw it in the Botanical Gardens in Sydney. I know that Geoff Duggan, a mastercraftsman with the Dry Stone Walling Association of GB, works there and assume that this shows his influence.
More walls from Australia on 7th March.

Photo Montage

2011-02-28T00:00:00.000-08:00

This multilayered , multi meaning creation was designed by John Shaw-Rimmington. Those of you in North America will also recognise the painting style of Norman Rockwell. I love the man's name and wonder whether he lives up to his moniker.
Walls in Australia feature on 3rd March.

Retaining wall by Russ Beardsley

2011-02-24T23:28:00.000-08:00

Here is a fine example of a retaining wall. Although not yet complete with coping rocks it does show how the back should be filled with hard material which will allow adequate drainage. In addition the wallend is constructed in traditional style. For more of his work go to http://www.borrowedground.com/

On the 1st of March I am posting a very unusual picture.

Turf coping by Jason Hoffman

2011-02-20T23:17:00.000-08:00

I have posted several of Jasons dry stone features in the past and this one shows the system of turf coping which was once quite common in the hill farms in the West of Scotland but now rarely seen . Usually the turf is either heather or a double layer of grass. The sods are cut much thicker than those normally provided for lawns. The lower layer is placed with the vegetation down which acts in the same way as a coverband. Often in a dry summer the grass will turn brown but will return to its fresh green whenever the rain arrives. Not a long wait in most parts of our country. To see more of Jason's projects go to http://www.stoneinspired.com/

The next posting on 25th Feb. is a retaining wall by North American waller Russ Beardsley.

Johnny Clasper

2011-02-17T00:00:00.000-08:00

Johnny is a sculptor and dry stone waller who blends the two disciplines brilliantly. He clearly is fascinated by dry stone and scorpions. He calls his work playing. I like that .
For a good look at his creations go to http://www.johnnyclasper.co.uk/

My entry on 21st. Feb shows recent work by Edinburgh dyker Jason Hoffman

Coral in the UAE

2011-02-13T00:00:00.000-08:00

My grand-daughter Sienna found this item on the roadside among pebbles clearly gathered from the sea. What we couldn't work out was whether this was a section of coral raked from the sea or a fossil . Can anyone out there help?
The next post on 17th feb is a photo of work by Johnny Clasper.

More from the UAE

2011-02-08T12:06:00.000-08:00

Some dry stone work close to the city of Fujairah. The lower photo shows where a recent archeological dig took place. It is thought that the round structures were ancient burial mounds close to a farm.

My entry on 13th February is of something my Grand-daughter found on the roadside. It raised a question that I could not answer perhaps someone else can.

Petroglyphs in Fujairah U.A.E.

2011-02-05T00:00:00.000-08:00

These ancient decorated rocks are now in the museum in Fujairah. Some of these were discovered by a local Archaeologist. Several digs have been carried out close to the city and my entry on 8th February shows other ancient dry stone features around the city. This countryside now appears to be semi desert with only enough vegetation to support limited goat activity. Within recorded time however there was extensive farming when the rainfall and the rural population must have been greater.
To learn more about these fascinating stones go to A study of the Petroglyphs from Wadi al-Hayl (by MC Ziolkowski)

Visit to the United Arab Emirates

2011-02-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

During the week there I came across some ancient rock forms . In addition I saw this example of modern design. In fact it is an extension of an old idea where individual plants are surrounded by stones to help retain water in a very dry climate. I have seen this system used in mediteranean regions to protect Olive and Almond trees. The petroglyphs will be posted on 5th Feb. More archeological feature in the UAE on 9th Feb.

Arch in Ventura

2011-01-28T06:32:00.000-08:00

Normally a dry stone arch is constructed either by corbelling, where each circular layer of rock protrudes slightly above the previous without an artificial support, or the structure is held up by a pre built former and the stones laid carefully on the former until the arch is completed,then the support is removed. The arch shown here was created by a group of enthusiastic humans, each of them held an individual rock until the build was completed. It may have taken a couple of attempts but what a thrill for all involved when this free standing arch was finished successfully.
Photo sent by John Shaw-Rimmington.
In February I shall publish some of the dry stone features I observed during my visit to The United Arab Emirates.

Solving Problems

2011-01-24T18:56:00.000-08:00

Now here is an interesting challenge, this old bridge (16th or 17th century) requires repair. How best to move a slipping stone back into place? Luckily the thickness of the arch is only one rock over the arch covered with much smaller stones and a coating of grass. So it may be possible to lift and replace the rock from above. Update on the result later on this year when the river is at its lowest flow.

Garden Feature in New England.

2011-01-23T00:00:00.000-08:00

I love the feeling of tranquility in this garden built by Phil Donnelly. He has other wonderful photos of his work on his site, http://www.nelandartisan.com/
The entry on 27th January involves a recent visit to an old bridge and the type of problem faced to repair it.
You can find my new blog entries on facebook.

An old walling problem in Yorkshire

2011-01-19T00:00:00.000-08:00

In the past when a field was ploughed by horse the tendency was always to turn in one direction. This over the centuries resulted in the soil on one side of a boundary being built up while it was moved away on the other side. Now when one comes to repair an old wall often we find that the original foundations have been undermined on the low side. This means that it becomes much more difficult and much more expensive to do repairs. This compilation of photos from Tracey Blackwell illustrates the problem.
I have now added the entries in this blog into my facebook site.
THe entry coming after this post is of a garden design in New England.

Well in Switzerland

2011-01-15T00:00:00.000-08:00

Dieter Sneider sent me this photo of a project he completed recently. He rebuilt this well which had to be done entirely fronm the interior. Fortunately he did not have to go to a great depth. I have always wondered how the wells in the old days were dug so deeply.
The entry on 19th January concerns an old problem faced when repairing field walls.

Landscaping by Willie Cassidy

2011-01-11T00:00:00.000-08:00

Another example by local Crieff waller. Willie changed this garden close to an old cottage in a dramatic manner. These three shots show how the building is now protected from water seepage by earth moving and a retaining wall.The first illustrates the earth moving required. Second shows how it looks now and the third is a photo of the cottage before the reconstruction of the garden.
The entry on 15th January show the reconstruction of a well in Switzerland.

Wall End for the New Year

2011-01-07T00:00:00.000-08:00

This strong wall end was constructed by local dry stone waller Willie Cassidy. Originally from Glasgow, Willie now lives in my local small town Crieff. He does some fine work and we plan to do some features together in 2011. More news of that later in the year.

Andy Loudon

2011-01-03T00:00:00.000-08:00

A VERY HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR TO ALL

This colourful wall helped to earn Andy his Master Certificate with the DSWA. To see more of his work go to http://www.drystone-walling.co.uk/

The next entry is a wall end built by Willie Cassidy a waller in my home town of Crieff.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2011-01-01T02:08:00.000-08:00

A very happy and prosperous 2011 to all.

Colourful Feature

2010-12-31T00:00:00.000-08:00

Thsi delightful garden setting was created by Andy Loudon a few years ago.. I felt the bright Autumn colours were a grand cheerup to counter the deep mid winter here in Scotland. More from Andy after New Year along with a link to his website.

Quiet Time after Feast

2010-12-27T00:00:00.000-08:00

The cat in this photo sent in by Mark Jurus looks so comfortable. This is how I felt after eating my Christmas dinner. It is that quiet time when even I am happy to relax and not think about building walls for a day or two.
Go to http://rockinwalls.blogspot.com/ to see more about Marks's dry stone activities and another picture of the comfortable cat.
Autumn scene from Andy Loudon on 31st. December.