Copestone Dry Stone Walling
traditional walling from the heart of Derbyshire
Wednesday, 21 April 2021
Ah, Ha...Ha
Thursday, 28 January 2021
2021 so far...walling alone due to lockdown...again!
... and it has been a very wet and very cold winter which seems to have been the norm over the last few years!
Made getting to work impossible for several days.
![]() |
20m of Limestone field wall near Parwich |
Work has been constrained and re-ordered due to lockdown and weather. However, nights are getting lighter the snowdrops are appearing, buds are starting to sprout tiny leaves and the woodpecker is hammering furiously to attract a mate...and this waller is sloshing around in mud building walls!
Enjoyed this job near Kirk Ireton...when from a delivered pile of rough stone emerges a gateway...4 cheek ends, 2 curves and a load of hand made copestones! Deeply satisfying...
Tuesday, 1 December 2020
2019 - 2020 - A year not to be forgotten!
What a year 2020 has been...A year of working alone, not meeting with colleagues, no shows, no teaching and a number of jobs lost. Still, I consider myself blessed to have a job where I can be outside, not needing to worry about commuting or having to wear a face mask!
In 2019 I finished 250m of a wall in Kirk Ireton which has become known as Emma's wall to friends and neighbours who walked past on a daily basis to observe progress. It was almost a 4 season wall!
Extending and rebuilding a wall encompassing a wheel as a feature
![]() |
One of my most favourite walls to date in The Brund, a 60m retaining wall, all dry stone. A beautiful setting which I worked on during the fabulous weather of the first lockdown 2020. |
Friday, 18 January 2019
Hello 2019!
All of a sudden its January 2019 I'm layered up in thermals, my once hot drink is turning to ice as it sits in a cup as I build ... and those hot days of summer where I was getting to work for 5.30am to avoid the heat seem so far away!
It has been a very busy few months of non stop walling moving from limestone to sandstone and back again.
A couple of insurance jobs...a couple of 'quick-my-wall-has-fallen-down' type jobs some garden landscaping work and now mid winter a very long stretch of field walling to do.
So looking back since August here's a little of what I have been up to...
44m uphill, sandstone wall which had to curve around trees...quote a challenge as the trees were in the wall! |
A quick day gapping at Snitterton with lovely limestone |
Gorgeous early morning winter sun on part of my 255m near Kirk Ireton |
uh-oh...winter has arrived! |
Monday, 20 August 2018
Ancient walls
![]() |
Rebuilt limestone field walls |
Friday, 19 January 2018
Trees and walls do not get on!
![]() |
Can't cut these out so they stay under the wall |