"One of the special features of Ferris Park is the network of old stone walls that crisscross the landscape. These stone walls were built between 1873 and 1892 by a Scottish caretaker who worked for James Marshall Ferris 1st on the family farm. Mr Clarke brought the dry stone technique to Canada as did other European settlers. Carefully selected stone pieces were fit together without use of mortar. Evidence indicates that the walls were up to six feet high and three feet across at the top to a height of four feet.
The finished structures were steady and sound serving as a method of clearing the land of a seemingly endless supply of rock and providing field divisions to keep livestock in and predators out. Approximately seven kilometres of stone walls can be found throughout the southern part of the park. Unfortunately they are in trouble. Over the years the walls have not been maintained and have become obscured by vegetation and diminished by stone removal. In 2009 the Dry Stone Wall Association of Canada took on the challenge to restore these dry stone walls to bring back these artful landscape structures of our past."
We held another workshop dry stone wall at Ferris Provincial Park this weekend.
Participants were able to see the old walls and study the impressive section of repaired walls that now grace this section of the park . Tomorrow another thirty feet of wall will be restored.
The event tent with the restored wall in the background gives this latest workshop a festive air.
And thanks to the Friends of Ferris, everyone eats and drinks well too
