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Follow one of our 2012 Heritage restoration Dry Stone Walling Projects    Read more...

Case Study 3     Bespoke Heritage Stonework

Gritstone Dry Stone Wall - Historical Boundary Wall

Works Description

110 metres of dry stone walling in Lancashire Gritstone

Build to historical boundary using original building stone at 1.4 metres height

The completed stock wall dry stone works follow the original boundary of a local pink gritstone dry stone wall dated pre 1600.  The wall’s original purpose has not been established, although it was suggested locally that it may have formed part of a boundary wall, that had been rebuilt circa 1800 as a lower level  livestock stock wall.  The reason for the rebuild was extensive collapsing and severe deterioration of hearting stone along the length of this 110 metre dry stone wall.

The original foundations were removed and reset as part of the initial construction phase.  The large stones were unusual in that they were large slabs of Gritstone, many of which had been precision cut by stonemasons and some bearing stonemasons marks which can also be found on other stoneworks in the area.

A number of artefacts were found in the wall including clay pipes, a small Victorian oil lamp and a number of embossed bottles, some intact and one still with a marble inside.  The wall had been used extensively by a range of wildlife, including weasels lizards, a wasps nest and wrens, many of which were seen re colonising sections of the newly rebuilt wall near the end of the rebuilding phase.

More images soon.

Case Study 4     Bespoke Heritage Stonework

Historical Boundary Livestock Consumption Dyke Dry Stone Wall

Works Description

Environmental Stewardship Contract/ Archaeological significance funding.

Angular dolerite consumption dyke reconstructed in original style and historical specification.

Estimated original construction date: pre 1200.

Much of the wall followed the pattern of walling above, but some lengthy sections of wall had unusually large throughs topped with copestones in the valley section which were reconstructed as close as possible to the original wall.  

Archaeologists suggested that this middle valley section of wall and large through stones beneath the copestones, in the image below was an ancient section of the consumption dyke and probably part of a small boundary perimeter wall to the remains of the neolithic village in the adjacent field.

more commentry and images to be added soon