We have a drystone boundary wall that was professionally built with granite field stone. As much as it looks nice, it's gets damaged a lot by sheep and it's been knocked a couple of times by a combine harvester going into the field opposite. I've genuinely grown sick of repairing it now because it never goes back the same way and being granite, it's stupidly difficult to work with and dress. 

I'd like to convert it into a mortared wall and I was wondering if it can be mortared in place without digging out the foundation stones and installing a concrete footing. The foundation stones are about 400 years old by the way.

I know in some areas, field stone walls are mortared with clay from the surrounding fields, so I'm guessing my wall can be mortared in place too, but as we don't have clay around, a lime mortar would work?

Any advice/experience appreciated.

 

I think in a straight fight between your mortared wall and a combine I know which I'd bet on 😉but it may help against the sheep. Sad, though., It looks the business.

Low right wire fence in front of it to keep the sheep away? 

Cover it in stainless mesh like an in place gabion. 

Electric fence, will keep sheep away and may shock a CH driver as well.

Sheep make a perfect Sunday roast. 

On 18/03/2026 at 03:31, Adrian Walker said:

Sheep make a perfect Sunday roast. 

Excuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuse me!?

Just use some mud.  It was used as mortar for thousands of years before cement was invented.

 

Dig a hole and take the subsoil, mix with some sand, possibly add some fibres (wool?!) and experiment with the ratios until you get a pliable but firm mix.

 

It will be resistant to sheep and less expensive to repair when the combine inevitably knocks it down again

Steel post in front of the usual impact spot? Farmers don't like to damage their kit, and may try harder.

 

And/or try lime mortar at that vulnerable spot.

 

Whatever you do, don't replace the base and footing. It has joggled along fine for 400 years.

 

OR speak to the farmer.

If you have more stone available, ours came out of the knock down, you could rebuild as a Cornish Hedge.  As a quick guide it’s two walls tapering inwards to each other with the gap in between each wall filled with soil and rubble, then grassed over, planted up or our original ones have trees now growing through the centre. Also look up Devon Bank (hedge) it’s similar but no stone you could adapt yours by rebuilding one side only and banking up the other side. 

On 20/03/2026 at 08:28, Susie said:

rebuild as a Cornish Hedge.

I can testify to how hard a Cornish Hedge is, totally unscathed after a glancing blow at 60 MPH.