In early February I helped the warden at Pensychnant Nature Reserve, with two other volunteers, build this dry stone wall from local stone that was built into the previous, crumbling wall that was being jumped by the sheep. It rained all day and we all got soaked through. Building the wall was rewarding and we had pleasant chats in between lifting the stones. I learned the history of the lands around the reserve, most of which was common land but historically large portions of it belonged to the Bishop of Bangor, who kept tenants to farm it and they paid him in produce and were not allowed to leave. Houses built on the Sychnant Pass later, and those existent today, have a claim on the land to graze sheep, as these are privileges that are passed down with the bricks and mortar. Not many do today because the land is not terribly fertile. Some of the land belongs to the royal estate. The stones you can see on the ground are volcanic, which the reason for their jagged shape and why they don't build terribly tidy walls. The warden estimates that this wall will last around 100 years, and will certainly outlive me!
0 Comments