Crinkle crankle wall
|
This crinkle crankle wall and curved gateway leads to private gardens. Inside this entrance there is a curved gate to match the wall. |
Pevsner’s Architectural Glossary (second edition) was published by Yale University Press in 2018. It defines a crinkle crankle wall as: ‘A garden wall undulating in a series of serpentine curves, especially in Suffolk’. This type of serpentine wall is also referred to as crinkum crankum, sinusoidal, ribbon or wavy wall. The term crinkle crankle was used in the late 1500s to describe an object with bends; it became associated with wavy walls in England in the 1700s.
In addition to being found in gardens (where they were sometimes used for growing fruit), crinkle crankle walls may have defensive purposes or may demarcate property boundaries.
A form of construction incorporating alternating curves was used in Ancient Egypt. It was also used by Thomas Jefferson at the University of Virginia. The technique typically requires less material than a traditional, straight wall, as the walls do not use mass to achieve lateral stability.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
Featured articles
Check out some of the best features and news from Designing Buildings as well as key stories from around the web.
Building Safety Act implementation in Wales
CIAT to host industry panel on 26 June.
New and updated CLC building safety guidance.
New UK National Buildings Database.
Building Safety Wiki Interviews
Chief executive of the British Woodworking Federation.
Planning condition discharge in England and Wales
A brief explanation from a building compliance expert, with further links.
Overheating guidance and tools for building designers
Guidance for dealing with element of building fabric control that have increasing importance.
Shading for housing, a design guide
From the Good Homes Alliance and British Blind and Shutter Association.
UK Standard Skills Classification (SSC)
A shared framework for describing skills needs.
Social media ban consultation comes to close
CIOB urges UK Government to consider social media’s role in careers guidance in ban debate.
The latest of eight Skills England apprenticeship units
The addition of battery manufacturing welcomed by ECA with a warning about the risks of fast-tracked apprenticeship units.
Building Control Independent Panel final report
A precis of a key report led by Dame Hackitt with full recommendations and link to the government response.