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Crinkle Crankle Wall

en.wikipedia.org

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Re: Crinkle Crankle Wall

#31

Post by Cytobit »

jhncls wrote: post #14

While this type of wall mainly exists in England and the Netherlands, it is amusing how the English Wikipedia's main arguments are about saving bricks and possible military advantages, while the Dutch Wikipedia tell these walls are meant to protect fruit from weather conditions. The fruit would typically be planted at the south side. One of the ideas is that the bricks both protect against wind and keep giving some w…

Does the shape of the wall affect either of these uses? Otherwise, wouldn't it be off-topic to start listing general facts about walls for agriculture?

Re: Crinkle Crankle Wall

#32

Post by riffraff »

Cytobit wrote: post #31
jhncls wrote: post #14

While this type of wall mainly exists in England and the Netherlands, it is amusing how the English Wikipedia's main arguments are about saving bricks and possible military advantages, while the Dutch Wikipedia tell these walls are meant to protect fruit from weather conditions. The fruit would typically be planted at the south side. One of the ideas is that the bricks both protect against wind and keep giving some w…

Does the shape of the wall affect either of these uses? Otherwise, wouldn't it be off-topic to start listing general facts about walls for agriculture?

for the saving bricks, yes, since it's more robust than a straight line single-brick wall, and cheaper than a multi-brick one.

I imagine for heating, it's that the trees get exposed to more irradiation by sitting in the focus of the curve rather than in front of a line.

Re: Crinkle Crankle Wall

#34

Post by jessriedel »

Cytobit wrote: post #31
jhncls wrote: post #14

While this type of wall mainly exists in England and the Netherlands, it is amusing how the English Wikipedia's main arguments are about saving bricks and possible military advantages, while the Dutch Wikipedia tell these walls are meant to protect fruit from weather conditions. The fruit would typically be planted at the south side. One of the ideas is that the bricks both protect against wind and keep giving some w…

Does the shape of the wall affect either of these uses? Otherwise, wouldn't it be off-topic to start listing general facts about walls for agriculture?

Based on this comment, I think the idea is that if you plant trees within the bend of a wall, they are shielded and heated from more than 180 degrees.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21564553

You only get this benefit for tree right along the wall, which is not much agricultural area. Seems like a strained justification.

Re: Crinkle Crankle Wall

#35

Post by MagnumOpus »

bitslayer wrote: post #10

In modern standards a straight wall is much easier to build because you can just measure once for each row and stretch a string to match the bricks against. A curved wall requires a level placed against every brick to make sure you are still going straight up. I expect older walls actually trusted the mason's skill without going through all that. The Wiki photo certainly looks true.

> In modern standards

Even in ancient times masons had pieces of strings and plumb-bobs to level vertically and horizontally.

The more likely constraint is that before the 20th century the farmer couldn't afford masons to lay orchard walls, but did it himself...

Re: Crinkle Crankle Wall

#36

Post by SamBam »

wmorein wrote: post #25

There is one of these in Cambridge MA (or was until recently when someone crashed their SUV through it): https://boston.cbslocal.com/2019/05/15/cambridge-mass-car-cr...

I had seen the results of that accident, but was amazed by the video at all the people saying that the area is a magnet for such accidents, and that the brick wall itself had been hit many times.

I mostly walk and bike in the city, but that whole neighborhood has wide, straight, clearly-marked roads. It's like you're out in the suburbs. If people have trouble there, how do they deal with some actually-confusing intersections, like Newton Corner, Inman square, or Columbia Road in Dorchester?

Re: Crinkle Crankle Wall

#39

Post by Someone »

jhncls wrote: post #14

While this type of wall mainly exists in England and the Netherlands, it is amusing how the English Wikipedia's main arguments are about saving bricks and possible military advantages, while the Dutch Wikipedia tell these walls are meant to protect fruit from weather conditions. The fruit would typically be planted at the south side. One of the ideas is that the bricks both protect against wind and keep giving some w…

https://archive.is/20120908073039/http://www.parksandgardens..., referenced from the English Wikipedia page says:

”crinkle-crankle wall

A wall with serpentine curves for growing fruit”

So, at least one English source agrees with the Dutch description.

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