The Vacca Wall

Si · Post by Si » Thu 28 Apr, 2011 5:45 pm

Running east-west high on the Chevin above Otley, is a substantial and ancient wall built of large upright stone slabs. It can be reached from Otley, or Surprise View, near the Royalty pub.No-one seems to know it's original function, but theories range from a boundary marker, to something with Roman origins, to a barrier for keeping cattle from straying - hence the name - "vacca" meaning cattle in Latin, I think (vaccine?)Pictures of it can be seen on Flickr - Google "Vacca Wall" AND "Otley."

Leodian · Post by **Leodian** » Thu 28 Apr, 2011 9:53 pm

Si wrote: Running east-west high on the Chevin above Otley, is a substantial and ancient wall built of large upright stone slabs. It can be reached from Otley, or Surprise View, near the Royalty pub.No-one seems to know it's original function, but theories range from a boundary marker, to something with Roman origins, to a barrier for keeping cattle from straying - hence the name - "vacca" meaning cattle in Latin, I think (vaccine?)Pictures of it can be seen on Flickr - Google "Vacca Wall" AND "Otley." Thanks for that Si. If I have got the place correct I think this Vacca Wall will be the line of upright slabs that are seen at the top of the walk up the steps from near the cafe. I have seen the slabs on my very occasional walks on Otley Chevin and have wondered what they were. I've just tried searching Flickr but the only photos I found of a a Vacca Wall seemed to be all at Wycoller. A search of Otley on Flickr brought up 17,124 results, so I did not bother! PS. On my walks I've noticed a large substantial old looking stone wall high up on a slope not that far from the East Chevin car park path. It may be to hold the ground back but I wonder if it is known what it was built for?

Si · Post by Si » Mon 02 May, 2011 10:23 am

Leodian wrote: Thanks for that Si. If I have got the place correct I think this Vacca Wall will be the line of upright slabs that are seen at the top of the walk up the steps from near the cafe. I have seen the slabs on my very occasional walks on Otley Chevin and have wondered what they were. I've just tried searching Flickr but the only photos I found of a a Vacca Wall seemed to be all at Wycoller. A search of Otley on Flickr brought up 17,124 results, so I did not bother! Yes, that's the one. The wall is made of large upright slabs set in the ground, unlike yer average wall of smaller stones laid one on another.Try a search on Google images, and type this: "vacca wall" AND "otley" The other wall you mention is a retaining wall in one of the disused quarries, I think.

The Parksider · Post by **The Parksider** » Mon 02 May, 2011 10:34 am

Si wrote: Running east-west high on the Chevin above Otley, is a substantial and ancient wall built of large upright stone slabs. It can be reached from Otley, or Surprise View, near the Royalty pub.No-one seems to know it's original function, but theories range from a boundary marker, to something with Roman origins, to a barrier for keeping cattle from straying - hence the name - "vacca" meaning cattle in Latin, I think (vaccine?)Pictures of it can be seen on Flickr - Google "Vacca Wall" AND "Otley." The chevin web sites refer to this wall being built to stop cattle straying and the upright slabs come from the adjacent Yorkgate quarry. Ancient? It doesn't say, but maybe the odd construction could simply be that the quarry had such stones available. However normal walls can be found around the quarry,yet no cattle are amongst the trees so is the wall today part of a field/meadow boundary??

Si · Post by Si » Mon 02 May, 2011 10:43 am

The wall doesn't really enclose anything, and runs on the down-hill side of a path, almost as if it is an over-engineered retaining wall! It is now in a wooded area.The unusual construction does suggest that the wall is very old, even if it just reminds us of ancient standing stones. If it was built relatively recently from existing slabs from a nearby quarry, why try to move them whole, when breaking them up into "normal" sized wall stones would make transporting them easier? But then again, this argument could be levelled at Stonehenge! PS I haven't seen many cattle in that area either, Parksider!

buffaloskinner · Post by **buffaloskinner** » Mon 02 May, 2011 1:51 pm

You may find number 5 The Vacca Wall of interest on the link belowhttp://www.wyorksgeologytrust.org/chevin-audio.htmlAlso from the same siteChevin Forest Park, Otley, Geology trail, a new leaflet available from the White House Visitor Centre. It is also available in an A4 PDF version which you can print out: Chevin Forest Park Geology Trail 1, Chevin Forest Park Geology Trail 2.

ttleeds · Post by **ttleeds** » Thu 19 May, 2011 1:05 pm

Vaccary walls consisting of large erect stone slabs are not uncommon in the Pennines, where suitable stone could be quarried. The Wycoller examples are well known. Another cluster of these walls exists in the area just to the north of Rochdale, a hill area pitted with former quarries. There is an interesting link about vaccary walls at http://www.stoneroof.org.uk/fence.html.