Cobbles

The art and craft of traditional cobblestone work is a real spectacle on the eye. Stone cobbles can also be referred to as setts. The area to be cobbled should first be prepared by digging out the designated area in which the cobbles are to be laid ensuring a suitable fall is incorporated to allow for rain run off. During restoration work this digging out phase will already have been done as there will be an existing cobbled area that requires remedial attention. Where this is the case attention must be adhered to the final bedded in height and fall.

Many factors will need to be considered such as vehicular traffic or merely pedestrian footfall. This will also better inform what type and size of cobble is used and how they are bed in and secured. In a flexible system the more traditional jointing is preferred whereas the rigid system uses mortar. Both should be laid on compacted sub base. In modern day projects any digging out and finished level will need to be mindful of the DPC (damp proof course) and as such the finished commission should always be 150mm below the DPC.

The cobbles are positioned and laid by hand and eye maintaining the correct camber and gradient or fall. Once laid and depending on whether a flexible or rigid system is used the cobbled area will need to be jointed using traditional dry mix methods. This may well need repeating to ensure each of the cobbles is secure and firmly anchored into place.