Corners
The absence of long stones in many cloddiau often necessitates the use of a sharp curve or simplified ‘T’ junction, rather than corners. Most changes of direction in stone hedges are accommodated by curved sections, which are built following the same procedure as straight ones, bearing in mind the problems and procedures outlined for curves in dry stone walls. If a corner is necessary, this should be built following the principles described here.
Heads and gateways
Stone hedges require a carefully designed gate end to allow for the extra width and batter of the earth bank. Cornish hedges often end with a head following either the ‘L’ shaped or overlapping methods described here. This can work for lower, and therefore narrower, hedges although the downward tilt of the stone can cause problems. For taller Cornish hedges and cloddiau the face of the head can be built as if it were another section of hedge, but this requires a good supply of rectangular stones with two or three good faces to form the corners, as well as wasting material. Usually the hedge is tapered to the gate post, as shown for a Cornish hedge.
The gate post is set 15″ (375mm) inside the base line of the hedge, and backed by a 3′ (900mm) high head of flat stones so that it is not forced out of line as the earth in the hedge settles. The hedge’s batter is progressively reduced from a point 6′ (1.8m) from the post, and the base made correspondingly narrower, until at the post itself the hedge is nearly vertical. The same concave frame or pattern which is used to judge the normal batter is used to guide the reduction in base width from 5′ (1.5m) or so to 2’6″ (760mm) at the base.
Stiles
Stone hedges have a wide variety of stiles, mostly variants on those described for dry stone walls. Stiles are rarer in cloddiau than other stone hedges, as the stone is less suited to their construction. However where stone has been imported or gleaned during the building process they can be found, the most common type being step stiles. This example from the Lizard Peninsula uses serpentine slabs.
Given the width of stone hedges the steps rarely project through the whole wall. The top of the cloddiau makes a secure step.
Through stiles are rare. Step through stiles are a little more common and occasionally you will find variants of Cotswold slab stiles, with an additional ‘rail’ over the top of the smaller slab.
South western rung stiles
Rung stiles and stone cattle grids (see below) are distinct forms of stile which are common in parts of the south west but very rare elsewhere. Cornish rung stiles are usually built out of hewn granite, although serpentine ones can be found on the Lizard peninsula. Three rungs are usual, but five or seven rung stiles are occasionally found.
To build a South Western rung stile:
- Cut the foundation trench across the line of the stile in the same way as along the rest of the hedge.
- Build one side of the foundation up to but not across the line of the stile. Bring it close enough to the gap on both sides so that the first step can be placed with its end resting solidly on the foundation’s facing stones.
- Place the first step.
- Cross to the other side of the hedge and repeat steps 2 and 3, placing the second step on the same level as the first.
- Lay stones between the ends of the steps to protect the earth fill.
- Build two or three rows of hedge on top of the foundation to secure the ends of the first two steps. Face the sides of the gap as well as the outside of the hedge with stone.
- Place the third step 12-15″ (300-380mm) above the first two, and along the centre line of the hedge.
- Finish building the hedge above the steps, giving the sides of the gap at least as much batter as the outside of the hedge. Finish the top in one of the usual ways.
Stone cattle grids
These are rarer than rung stiles, although the norm in parts of West Cornwall including Zennor and Penwith. They consist of a series of parallel lengths of hewn granite, set with gaps between, and sometimes over a pit.
The usual arrangement is four or five rungs, each about 6-12″ (150-300mm) wide and thick, and set at ground level. The stile opening is made to any convenient width, determined by the length of rungs available, allowing for a few inches to be embedded in the wall. They are usually wide enough for two walkers to pass with ease.
The spacing of the rungs is dependent on the width of the wall and the dimensions of the rungs. They are set so that the gaps are fairly uniform, normally around 11-12″ (270-300mm), to a maximum of about 14″ (360mm).
One disadvantage of this type of stile is that it has to be cleaned out from time to time, to keep the gaps between the rungs from filling with debris and vegetation. Examples exist with pits below, like a metal cattle grid, and it’s possible that many were constructed this way and have subsequently become filled with soil. To completely clean out the pit would involve dismantling the stone hedge to remove the rungs, unless they are installed independently of the stone hedge. Broken rungs, which have been shored up with a pile of stone beneath the break, are sometimes found.
Similar stiles are found on the Isles of Scilly. In many instances these have the middle ‘rung’ of a set of five projecting up to 6″ (150mm) above the level of the other ‘rungs’ to act as a sill.
