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Dry stone walls in the Yorkshire Dales, England
Hill, dale and dry stone
Layers of limestone in this pastural portion of Northern England not only define the rolling landscape, they provide prime construction material for the walls corralling the area's woolliest denizens. Generations of skilled stonemasons have carefully arranged these stacks of limestone slabs that vary widely in size and shape, using techniques that maximise surface contact between the stones. Thanks to the everyday science of friction, a well-built dry stone wall can be as sturdy as solid concrete. The walls here in the Yorkshire Dales collectively stretch over 8,000 kilometres, many of them several centuries old.
Hill, dale and dry stone
Layers of limestone in this pastural portion of Northern England not only define the rolling landscape, they provide prime construction material for the walls corralling the area's woolliest denizens. Generations of skilled stonemasons have carefully arranged these stacks of limestone slabs that vary widely in size and shape, using techniques that maximise surface contact between the stones. Thanks to the everyday science of friction, a well-built dry stone wall can be as sturdy as solid concrete. The walls here in the Yorkshire Dales collectively stretch over 8,000 kilometres, many of them several centuries old.
Held together by nothing but gravity and friction, some of these stone walls have corralled sheep for centuries.
© Alexander W Helin / Moment / Getty Images 2026-09-11 08:45:51 :