Paving

The cobbles in the top photo surround the tree in the photo beneath. Since water-worn cobbles are a scarce commodity it would be interesting to know their provenance for symbolic and geological reasons.

Water engineers, near the top of  Hyde Vale, have used old riven flagstones - but they have made a even worse job of the mortar jointing than in the Naval College. Weakened foundations just above the relaid slabs may well have resulted in cracking of the old slabs.

The 1999 cobbling near the Cutty Sark is tasteless and impractical: either the tree will damage the cobbles or the cobbles will damage the tree.

The wonderful old riven sandstone slabs in the Naval College grounds have been patched with sawn sandstone and carelessly pointed with portland cement mortar. They should use lime mortar or no mortar.