These pictures are of the most amazing stone fencerow I've found around here, on the farm just west of us where we walk especially in the winter. Instead of jumbled lines of stones among which trees have grown up, these are actual dry stone walls. And they are probably at least 120 years old.
These pictures are taken a few weeks ago; they'd just be all white today!
When you take a careful look at them you can see how individual stones have been piled up, forming a wall about 4-5 feet high in places, and about the same wide.
The best ones are found along the old farm lane, which runs from the farmhouse and barn almost to the woodlot at the back of the farm.
I've tried taking pictures of these walls several times, but it's hard to illustrate them well. In the summer they're smothered in greenery, and today they'd be smothered in snow. These pictures were taken just after Christmas when we had a dusting that outlines all the rocks very well.
You can see in this picture and the one below the actual vertical walls of stone, and get a sense of how wide they are. Once you climb up, it is easily possible to walk along the top.
With the number of rocks that must be in these walls, and the fact that each one must have been placed by hand, I can't imagine the work that pioneers did clearing these fields. A beautiful piece of our farming heritage.
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Those are amazing photos - I love to think of all the hard work it took - and dedication - to build these long rock walls. The snow outlines them perfectly.
ReplyDeleteNo doubt those walls will still be there for a long time to come.
ReplyDeleteThese are amazing.
ReplyDeleteWe use that method somewhat clearing the fields and building terraces. Rocks are continually places in washes to hold the soil in place.
Stone walls are fascinating both from both the perspectives of human history and the habitat they provide to flora and fauna. Anyone interested in stone walls might want to check this website - http://stonewall.uconn.edu/
ReplyDeletePlenty of these in the North of England, but very few down here (not enough rocks). These rocks look unpromising for wall-building - big round stones like these are very difficult to build with.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely made to last. Great pics
ReplyDeleteThat was indeed a lot of hard labour to build this stone wall. I wonder if there are still many thousands of stones in those fields that come up with the frost every spring. Your photos are beautiful and the dusting of snow does outline each rock much better than if it were bare. Our ancestors worked very hard didn't they? That lane would be a beautiful walk all year around if it's kept cleared of snow.
ReplyDeleteThe rock walls are attractive! Beautiful winter scenes and photos.. Have a happy day!
ReplyDeleteI know I live in Minnesota and should be tired seeing more of this, but I totally enjoy a good winter view, and this amazing fence of stones/rocks, what a lovely way to fence.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very nice stone wall. I am impressed that you have actually climbed Mt. Baker a couple of times! Now when I look at it through my window, I'll think of you on top. :-)
ReplyDeletei just love stone walls! back-breaking work to make them that solid! so great! hope they'll be there forever!
ReplyDeleteThis is a really cool fence. Can't imagine how much time and effort was put into it's creation. The light snow in your photos really shows the rocks nicely.
ReplyDeleteI think stone walls are amazing. I cannot even imagine how many hours it took to make this one!
ReplyDeleteThe stones remind me of the movie "Shawshank Redemption" where the hidden box of money is found. Great picture.
ReplyDeleteSnow can be such a pain, but it sure makes things look pretty.
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I love dry stone walls adn they look even better snow capped.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it would be easy to walk on with snow on the stone fence.
ReplyDeleteNice scenes F.G. I like the ones from along the lane as well.
ReplyDeleteI love stone walls like that. They are a lot harder to build than they look. Amazing they have been around so long.
ReplyDeleteYou took some nice shots of that stone fence! Looks like a lot of work to have built it!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful with the snow. I love those stacked stone fences/walls.
ReplyDeleteWouldn't you love to be able to step back in time to see the rocks being placed there. I wonder how long it took them to build it...I would think they did it over the years. Anyway, I love it. I do think stone walls are my favorite.
ReplyDeleteThese are wonderful. I bet that took a lot of time and hard work to put it all together.
ReplyDeleteA long lasting stone wall along that road. Great shots!
ReplyDeleteSouthwest Missouri has a lot of rocks, too. That is a chore I heard my husband's father, aunts and uncles talk about many times.Ton of work.
ReplyDeleteWonderful old wall! Looks awfully cold though.
ReplyDeleteI've always been intrigued by these stone walls. Great photos!
ReplyDeleteWow- never seen them made with round rocks. I grew up in the land of flat rocks (many walls made with them), and apparently there weren't enough rocks here to make walls.
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