BND1: Maintain dry stone walls
What you must do to get paid for this SFI26 action and advice on how to do it.
This is a Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026 (SFI26) action. Read the SFI26 scheme information to understand what you’re required to do under an SFI26 agreement and how to apply.
Select ‘See all updates’ at the start of this page to find out how this action has changed for SFI26 compared with SFI24.
For SFI24 actions, read the SFI24 agreement holder’s information.
Duration
3 years
How much you’ll be paid
£27 per 100 metres (m) for both sides
Action’s aim
This action’s aim is that there are dry stone walls maintained in good condition.
The purpose of this is to:
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help manage livestock
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provide habitats for lichens, mosses, ferns and wildlife
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maintain landscape and historic features
Where you can do this action
An eligible dry stone wall for this action must be:
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a vertical structure that’s built of natural stone
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of traditional dry stone wall construction, which can include mortar if it’s part of the traditional stone walling method
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at least 20m long, measured between 2 end points – read the ‘advice to help you do this action’ to find out how to measure this
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in good condition
To be in good condition, the dry stone wall must be both:
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continuous – which means there are no gaps along its entire length, apart from structural wall features such as stiles, stone gate posts and sheep creeps
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complete – which means the wall is at a height in keeping with local style, with top stones in place if they’re part of the local style
Check you have management control of your dry stone walls
You must have management control of both sides of the entire length of the eligible dry stone wall you enter into this action for its 3-year duration.
If you only have management control of one side of the dry stone wall, you must not enter it into this action.
You will have management control of both sides of a wall that’s next to a road, or borders a neighbour’s land, if you meet both of following conditions:
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you have a legal right or obligation to maintain the wall
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you can meet this action’s requirements
Check the length you enter into this action
It’s your responsibility to check that the length (in metres) you enter in your SFI application:
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is eligible for this action
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corresponds with what’s on the ground for the relevant land parcel – make sure you measure your hedgerows and enter an accurate length
If you enter a length which is ineligible or exceeds what’s on the ground, the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) will have to remove it from your SFI26 agreement. You may also have to repay monies already received.
Eligibility of protected land
Sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs): Eligible – you must:
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give notice to Natural England to get SSSI consent before the RPA can offer you an SFI26 agreement
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have received SSSI consent from Natural England before you do this action (read section 10.1 ‘SSSI consent’ in the SFI26 scheme information for more details)
Historic and archaeological features: Eligible – you must get an SFI HEFER before you do this action (read section 5.3 ’Land with historic or archaeological features’ in the SFI26 scheme information to find out how to do this).
Rotational or static action
This action is static. This means you must do it at the same location each year of this action’s duration.
What to do
You must maintain dry stone walls entered into this action in good condition. To do this, you must:
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visually check their condition and identify any sections that need to be repaired
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carry out any necessary repairs
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keep a record (written or photographic) of any need for repairs you identify, and the repair work you do – including the date you identify the need and when the work was done
When you carry out any necessary repairs, you must:
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use materials in keeping with the local style and characteristic
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retain any existing features such as top stones, sheep creeps, stiles and stone gate posts
When to do it
You must:
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check the condition of the walls at least once during each year of this action’s 3-year duration
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carry out any necessary repairs within 12 months of identifying the need, or by this action’s end date if you identify the need for repairs during the final year of this action’s duration
How to do it
It’s up to you how you do this action, as long as you:
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follow this action’s requirements – these are identified by a ‘must’
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do the action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim
You may find it helpful to read the ‘advice to help you do this action’, but it’s not part of this action’s requirements.
Evidence to keep
You must keep the required written or photographic record and supply this evidence if we ask for it.
Other actions or options you can do with this action
You can do the following actions or options in land parcels with eligible boundaries entered into this action.
| Scheme | Action or option codes |
|---|---|
| SFI 2026 actions | All SFI 2026 actions except BND2, CHRW2 and WBD2 |
| SFI 2024 actions | All SFI 2024 actions except BND1, BND2, CHRW1, CHRW2, CHRW3, and WBD2 |
| SFI 2023 actions | All SFI 2023 actions except HRW1, HRW2 and HRW3 |
| CSHT actions from 2025 | All CSHT actions except CHRW4 |
| CS options | All CS management options except BE3 (management of hedgerows) |
| ES options | All ES revenue options except boundary options |
Advice to help you do this action
The following advice may help you to do this action, but it’s not part of this action’s requirements.
How to measure your dry stone wall
For the purposes of measuring the length of your dry stone wall between 2 end points, an end point can include:
- a point of connection with another wall, bank, hedgerow or other features (such as a fence, ditch, road or building)
- where the feature changes management control or ownership
How to visually check the condition of your dry stone walls
This action requires you to visually check the condition of your dry stone walls and identify any sections that need to be repaired.
When you visually check the condition of your walls, factors which could mean your walls need to be repaired include:
- fallen stones
- slumping
- overgrown vegetation
- damage by livestock
- damage by machinery
How to carry out necessary repairs
Before you carry out any necessary repairs on your dry stone wall, check for signs of nesting birds. Birds, nests and eggs are protected by law, so if you see signs of nesting birds, delay work until the birds fledge.
When you carry out any necessary repairs on your wall, try to:
- use original stone, where it’s available – if the original stone is not reusable, you can source replacement stone that’s in keeping with the local style and characteristic (which has not been removed from other walls or historic or archaeological features)
- if stones have lichen growth, use them with the growth facing outwards
- transport materials when conditions are dry – this will help to avoid damaging the ground
- remove leftover materials from the site after you have carried out the work
- restore the ground where you have carried out the work
Updates to this page
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Added 'Advice to help you do this action' section. Correction: you cannot do SFI26 action WBD2: Manage ditches on eligible dry stone walls entered into this action.
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No substantive changes have been made to this action for SFI26 (compared with the SFI24 version). There have only been minor updates to standard wording which appears in all linear SFI actions. See ‘Check you have management control of your hedgerows’ and ‘Check the length you enter into this action’.
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Added 'BND2: Maintain earth banks or stone-faced hedgebanks' to list of SFI 2024 actions which are not compatible with 'BND1: Maintain dry stone walls'.
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Eligibility of protected land - updated link to section 10.3 ‘SSSI consent’ in the SFI scheme information. Published voluntary advice to help you do this action, but it's not part of this action’s requirements.
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First published.