An excerpt from my book 'Drystone - A Life Rebuilt' and the accompanying photograph.
'Inside, snecks and jumpers lead my eye over the surface of faded, earth-toned walls: a pleasing, recursive chaos. Used as they were found or shaped with rudimentary tools; stones as big as a person, irregular and bulging, others smaller, stacked tightly and neatly like books on a shelf. Every one placed by hand more than two thousand years ago.'
@kristiedegaris I love a bit of handbuilt drystone wall. As a very small child we lived in remote Wales and such walls were a mini imaginary world where tiny people lived and played and worked. One such wall will still have some of my toys in it.
@Judeet99 I felt the same about walls as a child. They were full of wonder (and still are). Wales has some exceptional drystone. Looking forward to going back, it's been years.
@kristiedegaris Yes, Welsh walls tend to be very neat, aided by the properties of slate. Sandstone or limestone walls are often more irregular and there's more variety in the stone itself...love them all.
@Judeet99 I grew up in Caithness where it's all flagstone, a similar look to slate. We build a lot with rough fieldstone in Perthshire, and I love a fieldstone wall.
@kristiedegaris It's mostly limestone here in Derbyshire although there are different types. We do have some lovely sandstones too.
