BND1: Maintain dry stone walls - GOV.UK

Contents

1. Duration
2. How much you’ll be paid
3. Action’s aim
4. Where you can do this action
5. Eligibility of protected land
6. Available area you can enter into this action
7. Rotational or static action
8. What to do
9. When to do it
10. How to do it
11. Evidence to keep
12. Other actions or options you can do with this action
13. Advice to help you do this action
14. How to measure your dry stone wall
15. How to visually check the condition of your dry stone walls
16. How to carry out necessary repairs

This is an action in the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme: expanded offer for 2024. You must read the SFI scheme information to understand the scheme rules and how to apply.

Duration

3 years

How much you’ll be paid

£27 per 100 metres (m) for both sides

Action’s aim

This action’s aim is that there are dry stone walls maintained in good condition.

The purpose of this is to:

• help manage livestock
• provide habitats for lichens, mosses, ferns and wildlife
• maintain landscape and historic features

Where you can do this action

An eligible dry stone wall for this action must be:

• a vertical structure that’s built of natural stone
• of traditional dry stone wall construction, which can include mortar if it’s part of the traditional stone walling method
• at least 20m long, measured between 2 end points – read the ‘advice to help you do this action’ to find out how to measure this
• in good condition

To be in good condition, the dry stone wall must be both:

• continuous – which means there are no gaps along its entire length, apart from structural wall features such as stiles, stone gate posts and sheep creeps
• complete – which means the wall is at a height in keeping with local style, with top stones in place if they’re part of the local style

You can only do this action on both sides of the entire length of an eligible dry stone wall. This means you must have management control of both sides of the wall.

You can enter both sides of a roadside wall, or a wall that borders a neighbour’s land, if you meet both of following conditions:

• you have a legal right or obligation to maintain the wall
• you can meet this action’s requirements

Eligibility of protected land

• Protected land: Sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs)
• Eligibility: Eligible – you must get SSSI consent before you do this action (read section 10.3 ‘SSSI consent’ in the SFI scheme information to find out how to do this)
• Protected land: Historic and archaeological features
• Eligibility: Eligible – you must get a SFI HEFER before you do this action (read section 5.6 ‘Land with historic or archaeological features’ in the SFI scheme information to find out how to do this)

Available area you can enter into this action

Not applicable, as this is a linear action.

Rotational or static action

This action is static. This means you must do it at the same location each year of this action’s duration.

What to do

You must maintain dry stone walls entered into this action in good condition. To do this, you must:

• visually check their condition and identify any sections that need to be repaired
• carry out any necessary repairs
• keep a record (written or photographic) of any need for repairs you identify, and the repair work you do – including the date you identify the need and when the work was done

When you carry out any necessary repairs, you must:

• use materials in keeping with the local style and characteristic
• retain any existing features such as top stones, sheep creeps, stiles and stone gate posts

When to do it

You must:

• check the condition of the walls at least once during each year of this action’s 3-year duration
• carry out any necessary repairs within 12 months of identifying the need, or by this action’s end date if you identify the need for repairs during the final year of this action’s duration

How to do it

It’s up to you how you do this action, as long as you:

• follow this action’s requirements – these are identified by a ‘must’
• do the action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim

You may find it helpful to read the ‘advice to help you do this action’, but it’s not part of this action’s requirements.

Evidence to keep

You must keep the required written or photographic record and supply this evidence if we ask for it.

Other actions or options you can do with this action

You can do the following actions or options in land parcels with eligible boundaries entered into this action.

Advice to help you do this action

The following advice may help you to do this action, but it’s not part of this action’s requirements.

How to measure your dry stone wall

For the purposes of measuring the length of your dry stone wall between 2 end points, an end point can include:

• a point of connection with another wall, bank, hedgerow or other features (such as a fence, ditch, road or building)
• where the feature changes management control or ownership

How to visually check the condition of your dry stone walls

This action requires you to visually check the condition of your dry stone walls and identify any sections that need to be repaired.

When you visually check the condition of your walls, factors which could mean your walls need to be repaired include:

• fallen stones
• slumping
• overgrown vegetation
• damage by livestock
• damage by machinery

How to carry out necessary repairs

Before you carry out any necessary repairs on your dry stone wall, check for signs of nesting birds. Birds, nests and eggs are protected by law, so if you see signs of nesting birds, delay work until the birds fledge.

When you carry out any necessary repairs on your wall, try to:

• use original stone, where it’s available – if the original stone is not reusable, you can source replacement stone that’s in keeping with the local style and characteristic (which has not been removed from other walls or historic or archaeological features)
• if stones have lichen growth, use them with the growth facing outwards
• transport materials when conditions are dry – this will help to avoid damaging the ground
• remove leftover materials from the site after you have carried out the work
• restore the ground where you have carried out the work

Published 21 May 2024 Last updated 11 February 2025 + show all updates

1. 11 February 2025

Added 'BND2: Maintain earth banks or stone-faced hedgebanks' to list of SFI 2024 actions which are not compatible with 'BND1: Maintain dry stone walls'.

1. 30 July 2024

Eligibility of protected land - updated link to section 10.3 ‘SSSI consent’ in the SFI scheme information. Published voluntary advice to help you do this action, but it's not part of this action’s requirements.

1. 21 May 2024

First published.