Drystone walls near Deer Leap on the Mendip Hills in Somerset.

Driving or walking across the Mendip Hills in Somerset you cannot fail to notice mile upon mile of drystone walls.  The sight of them always makes me wonder when they were built, how long it took to build them, who built them, and who paid for their construction.

Apparently there are around 250 miles of such walls in the Mendip Hills AONB with 60 per cent of them in an advanced state of decay or derelict.  However, all is not lost as it seems dedicated teams of volunteers are undertaking the task of repair and reconstruction - after suitable instruction.*

I took these photos at Deer Leap on a lovely day in May back in 2011.

Looking west from near Deer Leap on the Mendip Hills in Somerset. Photo taken in May 2011.

A stretch of drystone wall near Deer Leap on the Mendip Hills in Somerset.

The view south from Deer Leap on the Mendip Hills in Somerset photographed on a May day in 2011. 

*
https://www.mendiphillsaonb.org.uk/2019/06/12/the-walls-of-mendip-look-set-for-a-brighter-future-thanks-to-volunteer-training/