Recent Projects

Collessie, Fife - artistic free-standing wall with turf top

The Wonky Wall

Example of Dry stone walling in Scotland

The Wonky Wall was conceived as an alternative to a full height free-standing boundary wall. On the one hand, it's a functional boundary wall around the client's young orchard

However, it's also an artistic piece. The concept was that there should not be a straight section or horizontal run over its 60m length - hence the nickname the Wonky Wall. We mixed three types of sandstone to provide a contrast of styles.

Over its length the wall has three circular areas, similar to shooting butts at each end and in the middle. The central circle contains an oak bench built into the wall. In between the wall rises and falls from heights of 1.6m to 0.4m, and twists, turns and wriggles along its length. In keeping with the artistic style, some of the stone is laid in traditional horizontal courses. Several tall stone monoliths are placed at intervals. These provide visual breaks, and allow for short sections of diagonal, herringbone of vertically laid stone.

The client was keen for the wall to act as a canvas for several stone carvings and phrases, and we have incorporated into it three apple motifs and a green man. There are two phrases of interest to the client too.

The wall is completed with a traditional west of Scotland turf top. The idea here is that the wall is meant to represent an organic structure, so effectively it's rooted into the ground. The turf top not only provides weight to hold down the wall and shed water as traditional stone copes do, but it also grows with the seasons - a porous pipe placed between the layers of turf provides irrigation. The turf has grasses, nettles, wild flowers and other plants in it. It is a wild life habitat in its own right.

Client testimonial

Peter and Caroline Wilson, Collessie

We love the Wonky Wall. It has already given us great pleasure to see it evolve, like some ancient dragon stretching itself out of the ground and coming to life. Not so much breathing fire, as ice (it was a very cold winter !). The wall is a masterpiece of Jason's craftsmanship and his imagination. A true work of art.

Wallers - Jason Hoffman, Andy Black and Richard Love.

Carvings by Andy Black, Workingstone stone carving

Stone supplied by Hutton stone, Denovan Mains Quarry, Stuart Gray and S6S, Livingston.

Free estimates and consultations

We provide free estimates and initial consultations for all walling and landscaping work. If you are interested in redesigning your garden using natural stone, please contact us.

Balvenie Masters of Craft Awards

I am very pleased to announce that I was one of three people short-listed in the stone category for the inaugural Balvenie/Sunday Telegraph craftsman of the year 2011.

This new award aims to celebrate heritage and hand-built crafts over seven materials categories including stone, wood and glass. The judging panel was TV presenter and author, Kevin McCloud, Chairman of the Heritage Crafts Association, Robin Wood, expert crafts photographer, Nick Hand, Editor of The Sunday Telegraph Life, Anne Cuthbertson and the whisky industry's longest standing Malt Master, David Stewart

Further details of the winners are on the Balvenie web site