Cornish hedges, or stone hedges, are a type of dry-stone wall found most often in Cornwall. An earth bank around 1.4 m/4.6 ft high, though sometimes 1.8 m/6 ft or more in height, is faced with stones of different sizes and topped with turf. The width of the base is usually equal to the height of the wall. These constructions are very durable; a stone hedge built with concave walls might stand for two hundred years.

Lichen-covered granite stones have been piled together to make a boundary wall in western Ireland. Fields in this part of the country are bare and rocky, and the stones must be lifted in order to cultivate the fertile soil.

Small fields and small holdings are typical of farming in the west of Ireland. The dry-stone walls are easily breached when the farmer needs to let his livestock roam from one field to another.