Farmer know how: dry stone wall building in pictures and video

Before you start building a new wall or lifting a gap in an existing wall a timber frame at each side of the section should be erected with guidance strings. This acts as a guide to follow which helps ensure the wall will be straight all the way. Try and place the bigger stones at the bottom. All stones should be put in level. It is best if each stone is placed as far into the wall as possible, having a long thin stone running length ways should be avoided.

The main tools used by the stone mason are a hammer for breaking bigger stones and a smaller, more pointed hammer for chipping and squaring stones up. Michael says stones vary in different locations and you just have to work with what you have.

As you come up from the base, smaller filling stones are placed in the centre of the wall to fill the void between the two outer faces. Again, these stones should be put in flat so all the weight goes down on them evenly. The outer face stones should be crossed at every joint and try and keep all the stones as level as possible. It is important that none of them are rattling and every one is solid.

As you build up the wall you follow the frame as it gets higher it gets narrower. In the process of building, stones will be selected that will go all the way from one side of the wall to the other and the ends of which will show at each side. They are called though stones and they hold the wall together.

Eventually when you get up to the top, coping stones (larger capping stones) are placed on top and they hold the top down and prevent the wall moving. The end product should look something like this. If it is maintained there is no reason why it cannot last hundreds of years as a good fence for livestock. A single strand of mains fencer wire either side of the wall is ideal protection from cattle scratching and knocking it.

Dry stone walls association of Ireland

The DSWAI is a non-profit organisation committed to promoting a greater awareness and appreciation of the craft of building with dry stone in Ireland. The association organises and runs a number of annual dry stone walling events and festivals across the country. It also organises courses for groups interested in learning the art of improving their skills. For more information, go to the website www.dswai.ie. Michael Fearnhead also provides dry stone walling lessons and can be contacted on 087 9884211.