In the original landscape design that blended the earth sheltering of
the house into the hillside were a couple of dry stone walls. These were
designed to reflect the terracing that had previously existed but had
fallen into disrepair over the years with the steady erosion of the
walling caused by the flocks of sheep that roamed over the hillside.
Given
the recent experience of the flood and mud disaster (see earlier post)
it seemed sensible to re-establish such walls with the particular
objective of controlling/directing any excessive water/mud run off away
from the house.
It proved more economic to buy in suitable
walling stone from a local supplier and to use this to supplement the
readily available stone on the site rather than use up expensive "digger
time" searching round the plot for suitable facing stone.
The
upper of the two walls, in particular, was constructed to divert any
storm run-off down the natural slope away from the house.
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| The wall building team laying foundation stone for the walls. |
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| The upper wall takes shape. |
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| The walling and digger team working on the lower wall. |
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| The finished walls. |
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| Looking along the upper wall. Note the run-off space left on the right to direct any water/mud overflow down the slope away from the house. |
