Cobble
Cobblestones were frequently used in early pavement construction. They are small stones or pebbles that were traditionally gathered from stream beds and hence had been rounded and smoothed by water. They are usually set in sand or bound together with mortar.
The second edition of The Dictionary of Urbanism by Rob Cowan, published in 2020, defines cobble (or cobblestone) as: ‘A naturally rounded stone (usually from rivers, fields or the sea) used for paving and walls. Setts are often popularily called cobbles.’
It suggests that cobbled can mean:
- Paved with cobbles.
- Paved with setts. When people refer to ‘cobbled streets’ they are often referring to streets paved with setts.
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