Having recovered from the
unexpected scare, laughed about it and followed them across the field, we decided it was time for our packed lunch; and can you think of a more delightful spot to eat in? What a beautiful view!
The hills rising in the far distance are the Staffordshire moorlands, while between us and them is the Churnet Valley, with its mixture of woodlands and farms. The meadow is full of buttercups and cow parsley and the dry stone wall separating the fields is a typical feature of the upland British landscape.
Dry stone walling is a dying art, but my grandad and uncle were/are good dry stone wallers. There is a lot more involved than you might think and a well built dry stone wall will last for a couple of centuries, in spite of the absence of any kind of cement. The shape and line of the wall have to be carefully plotted and each stone needs to go in just the right place to achieve its purpose. It is said that, once picked up, you should never put a stone back down until you have found the perfect place for it.
This dry stone wall is limestone, being the underlying rock of the White Peak area of the Peak District National Park, but alternatives are used in other parts of Britain.
I'm linking in this post with Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday. For more 'V' contributions, click
here.
