A consumption wall is a very wide
wall
A wall is a structure and a surface that defines an area; carries a load; provides security, shelter, or soundproofing; or serves a decorative purpose. There are various types of walls, including border barriers between countries, brick wal ...
, which appears as a double-sided structure in-filled with smaller
stones
In geology, rock (or stone) is any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals included, its Chemical compound, chemical composition, and the way in which it is formed. Rocks ...
.
An example can be seen in the
Duddon Valley
The Duddon Valley is a valley in the southern Lake District National Park in Cumbria, England. The River Duddon flows through the valley, rising in the mountains between Eskdale and Langdale, before flowing into the Irish Sea near Broughton ...
,
Cumbria
Cumbria ( ) is a ceremonial county in North West England. It borders the Scottish council areas of Dumfries and Galloway and Scottish Borders to the north, Northumberland and County Durham to the east, North Yorkshire to the south-east, Lancash ...
at Low Hall.
[''Ring Cairns and Reservoirs: Archaeological Discoveries in the Duddon Valley'', Cumbria, Stramongate Press Ltd: Kendal, (2009), pp. 44–46.] Another example can be found near
Harlech
Harlech () is a seaside resort and community (Wales), community in Gwynedd, North Wales, and formerly in the Historic counties of Wales, historic county of Merionethshire. It lies on Tremadog Bay in the Snowdonia National Park. Before 1966, it ...
,
Gwynedd
Gwynedd () is a county in the north-west of Wales. It borders Anglesey across the Menai Strait to the north, Conwy, Denbighshire, and Powys to the east, Ceredigion over the Dyfi estuary to the south, and the Irish Sea to the west. The ci ...
,
Wales
Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
which measures about six feet wide, indicating that they are spread throughout British agricultural regions.
Purpose
Consumption walls serve a double purpose of absorbing excess stone from the surrounding land, clearing it, while also enclosing it.
Consumption walls are thought to date from the medieval period, and are generally made up from glacial deposits left strewn in the area.
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References
{{reflist
External links
Cavity Wall InsulationStone Retaining Wall
Types of wall
Valleys of Cumbria