2007-12-16-412 London Wetland Centre old wheel & drystone wall late afternoon winter
***June 14th 2013 500 Views ***
The London Wetland Centre has this excellent dry stone wall which forms the domesticated ducks enclosure. To add interest there is also this old wheel of unknown origins (I'd say it is designed for rubber tyres, so I'd guess is it dates from around 1900). There was this absolutely gorgeous low light which really brought on both the wheel and the wall.
For a similar wheel see
www.flickr.com/photos/oldflints/2454759692/
Drystone walls are common in areas where there is a good supply of suitable rock; the Cotswold hills in South England are a good instance. They are built without mortar, and when I helped at a demonstration of drystone wall construction the most common question was 'how do they stay up?'. Answer, they stay up because they are constructed in a stable 'A' shape, and because they are easily able to adapt to ground movements owing to being flexible.
Should you happen to dismantle a dry-stone wall you will find that it is full of wildlife. Frogs, toads, snakes, newts, spiders and other creatures all make a habitat out of dry stone walls, so they are an important wildlife resource.
This photo is unedited.
2007-12-16-412 London Wetland Centre old wheel & drystone wall late afternoon winter
***June 14th 2013 500 Views ***
The London Wetland Centre has this excellent dry stone wall which forms the domesticated ducks enclosure. To add interest there is also this old wheel of unknown origins (I'd say it is designed for rubber tyres, so I'd guess is it dates from around 1900). There was this absolutely gorgeous low light which really brought on both the wheel and the wall.
For a similar wheel see
www.flickr.com/photos/oldflints/2454759692/
Drystone walls are common in areas where there is a good supply of suitable rock; the Cotswold hills in South England are a good instance. They are built without mortar, and when I helped at a demonstration of drystone wall construction the most common question was 'how do they stay up?'. Answer, they stay up because they are constructed in a stable 'A' shape, and because they are easily able to adapt to ground movements owing to being flexible.
Should you happen to dismantle a dry-stone wall you will find that it is full of wildlife. Frogs, toads, snakes, newts, spiders and other creatures all make a habitat out of dry stone walls, so they are an important wildlife resource.
This photo is unedited.