What are these stones for?

[purplepoppy]

Here's a nice easy question for Sunday. You'll often see irregular shaped stones lining the top of walls in the UK. They look decorative but they actually serve an important function.

But what is it?

Keeps out burglars

Stops people sitting on the wall

Keeps out evil spirits

Stops the homeless sleeping on the wall

Stops people having sex on the wall

Encourages wildlife

Updates

8 mo

Answer. Traditionally they were to keep out evil spirits. The wind whistling between the holes was supposed scare them off.

[OneViewpoint]

Makes going over the top a little harder. I had a home in the Caribbean with shards of glass embedded in the top of the walls surrounding the compound. One side was a cliff overlooking the water. That was an electrified chain link fence with concertina wire on top. All eminently defeatable, but adds difficulty.

[purplepoppy]

Sounds dangerous, someone could hurt themselves

[OneViewpoint]

That was the idea. A slow target is a better target.

[mstbooblover]

Set aside the obvious defensive aspect, and considering the number of people hating cats and shiting pigeons walking and sitting on walls, I can imagine they had no glass shards at hand and then thought of those irregular stones to do the job, forgetting pigeons just fly around and rest on anything stable, while cats just jump happily from stone to stone pretending to try and catch the shiting birds... ;0)

[Anonymous]

It stops me from riding/skateboard grinding cardboard along the top.

[SaoirseS]

My best guess is to deter people from sitting on it.

[AI Opinion]

Those irregular shaped stones on top of walls are called coping stones, and they're not just for show! Their main function is to protect the wall from weather damage, particularly from rain. By directing water away from the wall, they help prevent erosion and deterioration. Plus, they deter people from climbing over, thanks to their uneven surface! 🎨🧱

[purplepoppy]

Nope, miles off.

[Meatballs]

You're AI

[Sunrising]

The stones stop hikers and ramblers from hurdling the walls, and trampling across the fields.

[purplepoppy]

Nope

[Sunrising]

Well they would stop me, those stones could cause me a nasty injury! 🥹

[Sunrising]

If not humans, then cows.
In the rhyme a cow jumps over the moon. A simple wall wouldn't be a problem.

[Sunrising]

Or perhaps they didn't have anymore stones, and they equal distanced the remaining ones on the wall.

[Iron_Man]

Its to make sure the animals don’t escape they can’t get out You can’t see them because they are sleeping right now, but they’ll be up soon and they’re always looking for a way to get out

[purplepoppy]

Nope

[Iron_Man]

It has to be usually real big fields like that hold animals like cows, etc. etc. I’ve gone on plenty of road trips. I’ve seen it. You just don’t see the animals because they’re sleeping. They’re off to the side.

[AviatorTom]

Limits people and birds from sitting on the wall is my guess. If it's a defensive wall, in old times, the irregular stones made it difficult for the attacking army to cross it.

[andreasderjuengere]

The brick layers went out of mortar, because they stole some and used it for themselves. The important function of irregular stones is to hide this fact.

[Phoenix98]

It looks like an old defensive wall from way back in the day but I know it's probably not old enough for that.

So I have no clue, enlighten me.

[Wiredone]

@purplepoppy you should know that they are there for keeping people from having sex on the rocks. Im sure you know it's difficult. Lol

[FreyaRed]

Ancient version of fence spikes. It shall make burglary less comfortable

[Red_Arrow]

People put them on their walls so that you could ask people what they are for.

[DonaldDarko]

Those are for removing kebab , you hang heads on them.

[Meatballs]

I'm a big Guy so for me to throw all random people and things that piss me off

[Sal_Monella]

Keeps Foxes and wolves away from your flock.

[Ariesman81]

Drop them on people trying to scale the wall.

[Anonymous]

Capstones help protect the underlying wall from weather and water, and they look cool.

[ohsheeT]

Therefore the birds target practice

[goaded]

"Fashion"! LOL.

[fivebyfour]

Stop people having sex on them,,,

[Anonymous]

I'd say A or B.

[dinojames22]

They are not sharp enough to prevent birds

[Anonymous]

Farmers are poor sports about sex.