Stone Inspired Articles - Stone Inspired

Review of dry stone walling projects – January to June 2013

20 Dec 2013

2013 has been another busy year. The highlights for the first half of the year were getting through the winter pretty much unscathed – apart from being a very long winter, I was lucky that the jobs I had to do pretty much missed the worst of the snow, and... Read More

Leonardo Lifelong learning Dry Stone Walling project – Spain 2013

18 Oct 2013

I was fortunate to be selected as one of the British wallers to be offered a place on an EU funded cultural exchange programme, called Leonardo. The DSWA has been working with partner organisations in Spain, Italy and France for a couple of years putting together a programme of dry... Read More

Work/Life unbalance

22 Jun 2013

I like working for myself. It has many advantages: the best is being in charge of my own time. But sometimes work has a way of creeping up on you and essentially taking over your life. Lately its done it big style. Cancelling holidays because of work is not good.... Read More

Whatever the weather

17 Apr 2013

One thing working outside gives you an appreciation of is the weather. Most people will spend much of their working lives looking out at the weather through a window – at home before they leave to go to work; in the car, on the bus or train on their way;... Read More

Stone work and mountains

21 Jan 2013

Summit Cairns Many Scottish hills and mountains have stone cairns on their summits. Most are rough piles of boulders made by the walkers and climbers who visit the tops to mark the highest point. The Ordnance Survey constructed thousands of concrete pillars to be used as trig points to map... Read More

Pro-landscaper magazine

08 Jan 2013

Pro-landscaper article A garden designed by Carolyn Grohman, and built by Watergems has made the front cover of this month’s Pro-Landscaper, a UK garden design and landscaping industry magazine. Why is this of news? Well, because Stone Inspired built the wee bit of dry stone wall behind the pergola shown... Read More

The winter break

29 Dec 2012

In the old B.S. days (before self-employment), the Christmas and New Year break used to be something to look forward to. Two weeks paid leave away from work: from the phone and the in-tray; from clients with their problems; from the looming deadlines, the endless team meetings and from colleagues... Read More

Finally finished the pillars in Bathgate (well nearly)

24 Dec 2012

Thankfully the weather has been mild enough the past week or so to allow me to build the pillars at this job in Bathgate. I’ve been using mortar on the inside of the stones, but hidden from the outside, to make the pillars look dry. This way it preserves the... Read More

A review of 2012 – Part 2

21 Dec 2012

Following on from part 1 of the review of the jobs of 2012, here is part two. Highlights include our first arch and a long stretch of boundary wall. July 2012 Scottish Borders – stone circle I helped Edinburgh dry stone waller Richard Love build this circular raised bed for... Read More

A review of 2012 – part 1

16 Dec 2012

2012 has been a busy year for Stone Inspired. We have been lucky to have worked with many wonderful clients who have involved us in their garden projects. Of the 20 jobs we were involved in, 18 were for private clients, and the only exception being the small bit of... Read More

BALI Award winning garden 2012

09 Dec 2012

At the the recent BALI Landscaping award ceremony held in London this garden won the award for Domestic Garden Construction – Construction cost btwn £30 – £60k. Working under the direction of designer Carolyn Grohman and landscapers Watergems, Stone Inspired built the small piece of dry stone retaining wall in this garden... Read More

Who do you work for?

08 Dec 2012

I work in quite a solitary profession; I usually work alone with just the stone at hand; my hammer and chisels; the finished article in my head and maybe some sketches or rough drawings to hand; I am aware that there are others working on similar projects in other parts... Read More

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