Consumption wall
Type of wall built in Medieval Europe
title: "Consumption wall" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["types-of-wall", "valleys-of-cumbria"] description: "Type of wall built in Medieval Europe" topic_path: "general/types-of-wall" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumption_wall" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Type of wall built in Medieval Europe ::
A consumption wall is a very wide wall, which appears as a double-sided structure in-filled with smaller stones.
An example can be seen in the Duddon Valley, Cumbria at Low Hall. Another example can be found near Harlech, Gwynedd, Wales which measures about six feet wide, indicating that they are spread throughout British agricultural regions.
Purpose
Consumption walls serve a double purpose of absorbing excess stone from the surrounding land, clearing it, while also enclosing it.
Consumption walls are thought to date from the medieval period, and are generally made up from glacial deposits left strewn in the area.
References
References
- ''Ring Cairns and Reservoirs: Archaeological Discoveries in the Duddon Valley'', Cumbria, Stramongate Press Ltd: Kendal, (2009), pp. 44–46.
- Garner, Lawrence. (2005). "Dry Stone Walls". [[Osprey Publishing]].
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