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Dry stone retaining wall.

fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
in The potting shed
In the old part of Sandiacre, Derbyshire,  there are a few walls similar to the photo shown. They are all retaining walls and not freestanding walls. They are mainly near the church which has had building work done in phases from 12th  to 19th century.  We suspect they are all down to one stonemason/waller.   Has anyone else seen any similar walls anywhere else in the country? The bit shown is near the lock up and pinfold which is believed to be circa 1660 and is the more usual horizontal bond, above what we believe is the earlier herringbone bond.
The wall on the left supports the church yard. The newer wall on the right is a later wall to the new graveyard.
Anyone seen anything similar elsewhere?

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Posts

  • Ferdinand2000Ferdinand2000 Posts: 537
    edited October 2020
    I haven't seen anything *very* similar that I recall.

    But they do have zigzag with thinner stones in Cornwall eg:



    Perhaps you could email the National Stone Centre in Wirksworth to ask? They are also in Derbyshire, and only 20 miles away.

    If they haven't heard of it, I am sure they would love to hear about it for their resources, for when the next person finds some.

    http://www.nationalstonecentre.org.uk/

    Ferdinand

    “Rivers know this ... we will get there in the end.”
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    We went to Wirksworth yesterday. They hadn't seen anything like it. The millenium wall where stone wallers came from all over the country to build does not have anything similar.  We have sent them photos, and they are contacting the dry stone wallers association for us.
  • Ferdinand2000Ferdinand2000 Posts: 537
    edited October 2020
    You could potentially get it listed.

    Some years ago I spent some time visiting most of the churches in Derbyshire and I don't recall anything like that.
    “Rivers know this ... we will get there in the end.”
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    They are all in the conservation area except for one, so in effect are. The  only remaining one is next to us, and destined for the bulldozer unless we can prove it has merit.
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    There are legends the stones were robbed from Dale Abbey after the dissolution of the monasteries.  However they also follow the route of the old porteway or pilgrims route, that monks would follow from a priory in Nottingham to st Giles Church and then on to Dale Abbey.  I suspect we are too far from the actual abbey for the stones to have been carried, when there is a quarry within 100 yards.  The route was used less after Dale abbey was destroyed.  So we are possibly looking at 1200 to 1600 AD.
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    @fidgetbones.  However old they are, they are just beautiful and should be listed asap so they can be preserved forever. I don't know if anybody can make a listing application - does anybody know?
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • Ferdinand2000Ferdinand2000 Posts: 537
    Lizzie27 said:
    @fidgetbones.  However old they are, they are just beautiful and should be listed asap so they can be preserved forever. I don't know if anybody can make a listing application - does anybody know?
    https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/apply-for-listing/
    “Rivers know this ... we will get there in the end.”
  • BenCottoBenCotto Posts: 4,718
    In Houghton on the Hill in Leicestershire there is an old wall which I do not think is mortared and very similar to photo 2 but made of standard brick making it much less impressive though I have never seen one like it before. Should you want to look at it on Google maps it is on the junction of Main Street and Weir Lane opposite the Coop.
    (Houghton is pronounced Hoe-ton)
    Rutland, England
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    Well that is weird. My great great grandfather came from Houghton on the Hill.  He then moved up country until he settled in Ollerton.
  • BenCottoBenCotto Posts: 4,718
    A correction to my earlier post. The wall in Houghton is 50 yards down the road at the junction of Main Street and Scotland Lane, opposite the war memorial.
    Rutland, England
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