Friday, November 24, 2023
Abbey Farm Big stones
Chalk Walls & buildings
Well almost!!
There are a number of buildings on the Yorkshire Wolds either partially or completely made from hard chalk. Not the most obvious of building materials but widely available as the underlying rock is chalk.
This specimen was spotted in Bempton near Flamborough on the coast.
Tuesday, November 14, 2023
Irish House/Stonework
I'd been rebuilding & replacing the partially concrete block and stone wall in front of our house when a local builder asked if I'd built it. "Could you do house stonework?" he asked. I told him, probably but I'd never done house walling. "No problems I'll start you off and you can take as long as want". (Dunmanus near Goleen, on the Mizzen peninsular, Co Cork) Built 2003.
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Saturday, October 28, 2023
(above) Calf Island wall in Roaring water bay off Skibberean in Ireland. No ferry visits this island. I had to kayak there from Schull. |
Tuesday, October 10, 2023
Trees and Walls
Trees and walls don't generally mix. Trees close to a wall will normally push the wall over as they grow or get rocked by the wind. To avoid cutting down trees in or near walls which the owner doesn't want removed there are a couple of methods..
Here's one method, spotted in the Yorkshire Dales. In this case the waller has run the wall as close as he needed to the tree and left a gap with properly built wall ends. I've also seen a wall built around a tree. Either way it needs to be at least two or three feet away from the base of the tree. Any gap which stock might escape through can simply stopped up by using a small amount of timber.
If roots are a problem on their own then it is normal to bridge them with stone to avoid the possibility of the root or new roots lifting any foundation stones.
ber or wire fencing.