Fieldstones are just what their name suggests: stones that occur naturally in fields. They come in all shapes and sizes, from small, fist-sized ones to large boulder-sized ones, and they make perfect raw material for stone walls.

A fieldstone wall is a lot of hard work—but, if you do the work yourself, the price is right

Just ask any gardener: new fieldstones emerge from the dirt every spring.

Fieldstones are just what their name suggests: stones that occur naturally in fields. They come in all shapes and sizes, from small, fist-sized ones to large boulder-sized ones, and they make perfect raw material for stone walls.

Dry fieldstone walls are those made without mortar; wet fieldstone walls use mortar to secure the rocks in place.

In the past, these stone walls kept livestock in and defined property boundaries. Today, they are no longer just country boundary lines but highly desired property accents that add definition and detail, adding hard surfaces for a pleasing contrast with plants.

Good fences

In Robert Frost’s 1914 poem, “Mending Wall,” Frost examines the annual chore of fixing the stone wall he shares with his neighbour, and questions the aphorism, “good fences make good neighbours”—given that there’s little to keep in or out. “He is all pine and I am apple orchard. My apple trees will never get across; and eat the cones under his pines,” Frost writes.

But these days, stone walls are not about keeping your cows out of the neighbour’s garden, anyway. Today, we have more advanced materials for those utilitarian needs. Fieldstone walls are about adding character and charm—without spending a lot of money.

Earl Cook, of Pembroke, NS, who is building stone walls around his century home, describes dry fieldstone walls as similar to “making a puzzle but without a picture to guide you.” The stones are carefully placed in an interlocking pattern to keep them in place. With no picture but the one in your head, there can be lots of trial and error before finding the right stone to fit a particular space.

Plan your time

Building a fieldstone wall is rewarding but demanding work, so be prepared to sweat. A wall two feet high and eight feet long can take several days to complete, depending upon the size of the stones you use.

Large rocks are heavy and awkward to move, even with a wheelbarrow and pry bar. And, while those who build walls for a living are frequently able to work six to eight hours a day building them, the do-it-yourselfer may be wise to plan on working at it for about two hours a day. And here’s a tip: building your stone wall as a summer project is a wise idea, but doing it in the cool fall air may be wiser still.

Getting started

Of course, you need a supply of stone. Most of us don’t have a rock pile in our backyard, but if you happen to know an agreeable farmer who has a pile in his or her field, you have all the raw material you need to get started. Alternatively, quarries may have “tailings” that are reasonably priced. You can buy stones, but those who appreciate traditional stone walls may consider the hand-picked, graded, squared and “faced” stones that are available at some building supply stores inauthentic.

The tools needed for the project include a wheelbarrow, a pry bar and a sledgehammer. You’ll also need stakes, string (for a plumb line), sturdy gloves and a back support or brace. It is common to go through several pairs of leather gloves while building a wall. Some builders have tried wrapping their glove fingers with duct tape to help prolong the inevitable holes, but it only takes a few hours of working with stone to go through the duct tape and bare those vulnerable fingers.

In one noteworthy tome on the subject, The Forgotten Art of Building a Stone Wall, Curtis P. Fields describes the basic stone wall building pattern as “one over two and two over one,” meaning that the stone above covers the joint of the two stones under it. This pattern should be repeated throughout the stone wall construction to bind the stones together. The wall is completed in layers, with the lower layer always being several feet longer than the layer on top of it.

According to Fields, when the wall is nearing completion, there is one more consideration. Finishing the end still requires the “one over two and two over one” method, but now the builder must finish three sides instead of just two. Some may suggest using a small sledgehammer to break stones to create a clean end, but this may be simpler in theory than it is in reality. It takes a fair bit of practice—and some purists may call it cheating. If your stone supply is plentiful, searching for just the right stones will be worth the extra effort.

Some builders suggest that you use capping stones—large flat stones—to finish off walls. Fields suggests that, if you resist using these lovely flat stones during construction, you will be rewarded with a flatter top on your finished wall.

Long live the stone wall

Canada has several impressive historical examples of stone walls that have been built to last. The Balsam Lake dry stone walls near Kirkfield, Ontario, date back to the 1880s and are thought, at about three kilometres in total, to be the longest dry stone walls in Canada.

Another fine historical example is closer to home. The Little Dutch Church at the corner of Brunswick and Gerrish streets in Halifax was built around 1755; a wonderful ironstone and granite example of a dry stone wall with lovely vertical stones surrounds it. These vertical or coping stones are said to protect the wall from weather damage.

Learn by doing

The building of a stone wall brings to mind the 4-H motto, “Learn to Do by Doing.” Dry fieldstone wall building is a skill that develops only with practice.

But it’s practice that has its rewards. A stone wall makes use of natural elements to make a beautiful yet practical property enhancement without harm to the environment. It challenges you to constantly search for the right stone placement. And it’s essentially a little treasure hunt, each time you head to the pile.