I've been regularly driving to and from our local airport for years, and have kept meaning to stop and photograph this old semi-ruined building en route.
It contains the remnants of one of the most interesting walls I've seen in decades. It seems to have been made from a combination of old roof and floor tiles, laid in lines. I have a feeling that I've seen a nearby sign pointing to an old tileworks, so the connection is obvious.
It's such a beautiful wall, obviously built by a thrifty amateur; I hope they look after it.
Do enlarge!
Beautiful wall - shame about the concrete blocks on top.
ReplyDeleteVery typical local attitude.
DeleteThat's a handsome wall.
ReplyDeleteLiving in Lancashire we are surrounded by the beautiful "dry stone" walling.
The houses here are mostly stone, and some of the workmanship is stunning. I've never understood why our fields weren't divided by stone walling.
DeleteReduce, reuse, recycle, as they say. Love it!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful isn't it; and as you say, all recycled.
DeleteA lot of work went into that wall.our Vaso has a small piece of her wall opposite us made in a similar way with pieces of tiles but it is very small and done for decoration.
ReplyDeleteMuch nicer than those walls made with old tyres by 'eco builders'.
I wonder what the archaeologists of the future will make of Car Tyre walls?
DeleteI have a favourite wall in my garden.
ReplyDeleteSo have I. I may post a picture of it one day.
DeleteSlightly reminiscent of walls in our Lake District, field boundaries and house built from interlocking slate, no mortar at all. Craftsmanship is superb, but sadly a dying trade, often a damaged length of dry-stone is temporarily repaired with a few strands of barbed wire which becomes permanent.
ReplyDeleteMy own house (300 years old) is made of stone with a simple earth/lime mortar. Very solid and durable, as long as the roof is good. Once water gets into it, it soon deteriorates.
DeleteA very beautiful wall, one needs a good eye like yours to notice it.
ReplyDeleteNot really; it stands out like a sore thumb.
DeleteAlmost a work of art Cro - I do occasionally see walls which include rows of diagonally placed tiles up here - as you say ir is possibly where there is a tile works (or has been) and folk have utilised a local material. It would be sad if it were to be pulled down.
ReplyDeleteThey've cleverly made use of all the broken bits. Maybe the owner also owned the kilns.
DeleteVery skilful .... as others have said, people used to have to use what was available and what was the cheapest but produced some beautiful work. I don't like to always say that things were better years ago but, I don't think we produce as many beautiful things as we used to. XXXX
ReplyDeleteIt beats a concrete block wall any day, but probably took ten times the time to build.
DeleteI miss our old walls. Top half of the house was made from roof stones. Waste not want not.
ReplyDeleteI've always wanted a house with an old walled garden... probably a bit too late now.
DeleteIt's a lovely wall and pretty ingenious. The old saying"waste not want not"I lived in a house for many years which had river rock for the basement walls.I left them untouched. I am sure it is all dry walled now.
ReplyDeleteThe house must have had very solid foundations. To build on solid rock is always a good idea.
Delete