Irish Stone Walls: History, Building, Conservation

A unique history and 'how to' book on one of Ireland's most distinctive landscape features - the stone wall.The Irish countryside is a patchwork of over 250,000 miles of stone wall. Built from local stone according to the style of each region - dry stone in the West and the Mourne mountains or mortar elsewhere - these walls are an intrinsic part of the landscape. This unique guide by expert stone mason Pat McAfee covers the history of this ancient tradition, giving illustrated examples and step-by-step instructions on constructing, conserving and repairing stone walls of all types - whether dry stone or mortar. It includes:• History of stone in Ireland• How to build dry stone and mortar walls• Basic and more advanced techniques• Dos and don'ts of repair work• Appropriate conservation methods