Dry stone dyke restoration

This project had many features and details to take in to consideration during the dismantling of the original structure and set-up.

The original gate posts were rotten. New gate posts were set and gate hung, which dictated where the new cheek-end would begin.

A section of the wall to the right of the gate had been repaired with mortar a few years back. We took the decision that this would remain as it was. The work was structurally sound. It was unnecessary to take it down, albeit was a different style to the dry stone dyke.

The wall when it was originally built had been built dry. All of the stone was reclaimed form the original structure and reused during the construction of the new boundary.

Image of the original boundary wall

A new cheek-end was created next to the newly built garden gate. Level coursing was strung from each profile set to disappear in to the ground as the wall slowly climbed the sloped ground.

An additional amount of stone was sourced to supplement the newly formed stonework. This would give choice when selecting stone to build for strength, length in. All of the original through stones were in good condition and reused. We like to repurpose / reuse stone where possible on selected works.

The line of the wall was altered as the wall was becoming close to the steep bank over time. The idea behind this was to get the wall away from the roadside without losing too much of the garden space and maintain the integrity of the dry stone wall.

Blebo village wall, curve leading in to bank

The total meterage was 23 square metres with a subtle curve tying in to the old structure. The stone used was from the local quarry, which serviced the local area with sandstone. The quarry closed some time ago.

This wall can be found in the picturesque village of Blebo Craigs in Fife. A short drive from St. Andrews.