Dry Stone Walls

Sadly, it is being reported that our traditional dry stone walls are being despoiled by thieves who use the stones for  rockeries and other 'garden features'.   These walls, which have been skilfully built by craftsmen for at least 3,500 years, are a feature of counties such as Derbyshire, Co. Durham and Yorkshire and in the Cotswolds, where trees and hedges do not grow easily.

Dry stone walls are constructed without any mortar to hold the stones together, and the skill lies in the manner in which the stones are fitted together to form strong and solid boundaries.   It is estimated that there are something like 125,000 miles of dry stone walls in this country.   Now, however, wallers are being forced to consider departing from tradition and using cement to bind the walls, in order to deter thieves and vandals, who take advantage of remote locations to make off with the stones.