After a weekend trip to the Lexington, Kentucky area, I am impressed, as I often am upon my return, with the beauty of Bluegrass country. Even in the midst of winter, the Bluegrass region provides nothing but pleasant scenery with hills that roll just as softly and sweetly as the southern drawl from a native Kentuckian's lips.
The Northern Kentucky area is probably best known for its sprawling horse farms and the images below represent some of the typical landscapes you will find in the area. Many images you encounter of the Lexington highlight the area's subtle slopes, rail fence contours, and of course, the Thoroughbred horses.
I love that an element as simple as a white wood fence can create the dynamic composition of the photo below.
While the continuous lines of the traditional rail horse fences offer a stunning design element within the Kentucky landscape, the structures common to the area that strike me as the most interesting and profound are the old, dry stone masonry fences that are found along many of the roadways in and around Lexington.
Masonry fences were also used quite commonly during the early 1800's as part of the roadway system and many of the highways are lined with these ancient stone walls. The image below provides a glimpse into one such roadway. As you can see, combination of the rock walls and soft canopy of trees provides a picturesque view as you drive through the countryside.
For those of you unfamiliar with dry stone masonry, it is an ancient construction type and art that builds structures out of stone without the use of mortar. The stones (Limestone in the case of the Kentucky rock fences) are skillfully fit together using coursing and bonding techniques to provide both strength and flexibility, ultimately leading to an extremely strong and long-lasting stone structure. Think of creating a dry stone masonry wall as the ultimate puzzle...
The images below show two rock fences in the Northern Kentucky area. Many of these walls date back to the 1800's when they were built by farmers and landowners to mark property lines and cemeteries.
Masonry fences were also used quite commonly during the early 1800's as part of the roadway system and many of the highways are lined with these ancient stone walls. The image below provides a glimpse into one such roadway. As you can see, combination of the rock walls and soft canopy of trees provides a picturesque view as you drive through the countryside. 
Look at how serene the picture is below. I love the way the old rock fences almost seem to grow out of the landscape...
are these your photos? they are lovely!
ReplyDelete