Stone Fences - Unique to Kentucky?
Jan 23, 2018 14:15:02 #
Jan 23, 2018 14:19:33 #
I lived on a road with stone fenses in Winchester, KY for many years. I understood from locals that they are called "slave walls", built by slaves for mansion owners in olden times.
Jan 23, 2018 14:23:33 #
Brownie45
Loc: Louisville, Kentucky USA
Thanks ncshutterbug, I had never heard the term "slave walls" before. If you lived in Winchester, you know these are very common on country roads around here.
Jan 23, 2018 14:37:31 #
We probably have thousands of miles of "dry stone" walling over here.
Jan 23, 2018 14:42:49 #
Brownie45
Loc: Louisville, Kentucky USA
Thanks, Doddy. I wonder why I never noticed them in other areas.
Jan 23, 2018 15:55:22 #
Jan 23, 2018 16:30:44 #
Brownie45
Loc: Louisville, Kentucky USA
Thanks Bruce, I guess they are much more common than I ever imagined.
Jan 23, 2018 16:41:26 #
Jan 24, 2018 05:56:52 #
These dry stone walls are very common in the UK and most of Europe and continue to be built and repaired.
Look at this: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/magazine-33819675/the-enduring-wonder-of-dry-stone-walls
Look at this: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/magazine-33819675/the-enduring-wonder-of-dry-stone-walls
Jan 24, 2018 06:13:31 #
I imagine stone walls depend upon what type of stones are available. The quintessential New England stone walls have irregularly-sized rounded stones because that is what the glaciers left all over the fields, so the walls served two functions - as a wall and as a place to deposit the annoying stones that would damage a plow. Where were the stones in these walls from - were they quarried? The vertical stones would also tend to prevent people from climbing over the wall.
Jan 24, 2018 06:26:53 #
alf85
Loc: Northumberland, UK.
Doddy is right, they are called Dry Stone Walling, they have been building them here in Britian for hundreds of years, the Roman wall here in Northumberland was built in the same way as these fence's. it is a very skilled trade that is now dying out.
Jan 24, 2018 06:28:27 #
Jan 24, 2018 06:55:14 #
I thought at first the photos were of Derbyshire ! a large part of northern UK is criss-crossed with these.
Yorkshire,Lake District. The immigrant settlers to the New World must have taken their methods and skills with them.
Very long lasting, great for small wildlife and shelter for sheep during bad weather, give the landscape real character.
Yorkshire,Lake District. The immigrant settlers to the New World must have taken their methods and skills with them.
Very long lasting, great for small wildlife and shelter for sheep during bad weather, give the landscape real character.
Jan 24, 2018 06:59:27 #
Shutterbug1697
Loc: Northeast
Brownie45 wrote:
These stacked stone fences or stone walls are very... (show quote)
The particular style of these stacked stone walls has to do with the kinds and shapes of the rocks that were available, or that were removed from the fields when they were plowed. Rocks and stones were removed from the fields and placed around the perimeters, often designating the border or boundaries of the property lines.
These rocks are flat and shallow in height, whereas the granite often found throughout New England tends to be more irregular in shape and often much larger.
It's a matter of supply and demand. The supply of natively available rocks and stones will dictate the styles of the walls in any given area, which includes the heights of the walks. The stones placed perpendicular to the original wall served a purpose, to add height, but to also dissuade anyone or anything from loitering on the wall.
Jan 24, 2018 07:02:43 #
Many, many excellent examples of this type of stone fence right here in Nashville, Tennessee.
A drive through some of our older areas, Belle Meade, Green Hills, Hermitage, and others will provide you with many amazing feats of stone stacking. Most date from the 1840s to late 19th Century. I am always fascinated by the skill, strength and patience of the builders.
A drive through some of our older areas, Belle Meade, Green Hills, Hermitage, and others will provide you with many amazing feats of stone stacking. Most date from the 1840s to late 19th Century. I am always fascinated by the skill, strength and patience of the builders.
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