Cobblestones

When Mary and I first moved to Odense, the first thing we noticed were the roads.  Cobblestone everywhere!  The patterns, the colors, the textures, all beautiful.

To be honest, there are plain, asphalt roads here in Odense.  But many of the streets, and most of the bicycle roads are cobblestone.

Or, to be accurate, "sett" roads.  I did some research on this.  A little history of the cobblestone.  The things you learn by reading!

Cobblestones are stones that were frequently used in the pavement of early streets.  The word "cobble" means "rounded lump", originally any small stone rounded by the flow of water; essentially, a large pebble.  It was these smooth stones that were gathered from stream beds that paved the first "cobblestone" streets.

A real Cobblestone Road

Cobblestones are typically set in sand.  Paving with cobblestones allows a road to be heavily used all year long. It prevents the build-up of ruts often found in dirt roads. It has the additional advantage of not getting muddy in wet weather or dusty in dry weather. The fact that carriage wheels, horse hooves and even modern automobiles make a lot of noise when rolling over cobblestone paving might be thought a disadvantage, but it has the advantage of warning pedestrians of their approach.

A "sett" is a rectangular quarried stone used for paving roads, usually made of granite.  A cobble is a naturally occurring round stone.

So, when you think you see a cobblestone road, more than likely, its a sett road!

I have noticed in my walks and bicycle rides that there are many kinds of cobblestone patterns. (I know, sett, but old habits die hard!)

A little more research and I found out there are four basic patterns: Random. Coursed, Fan, and Bogen.

Random is, well a random pattern (duh!)  It is the cheapest to lay and not as aesthetically pleasing as other patterns

Random

Coursed are straight lines, usually with a border.

Laying a "Course" road.

Fan is a very decorative pattern, requiring more craftsmanship.

Fan pattern

And finally, Bogen.  Bogens are incredibly strong layouts as the arcs work to dissipate forces over a much larger area. This pattern was developed when horse-drawn traffic dominated the streets.  These are the most difficult to lay, requiring the most craftsmanship.  It is the most common here in Odense.

Laying a "Bogen" road

Bogen pattern

The final photos are other patterns I have found.  In some bicycle roads, they have the centerline done in stone.

Regardless of the reasons why they are installed, they certainly are beautiful.

No more history lessons folks. I think I will take a ride on the cobblestone bicycle street just outside. (I know, I know, sett street.  I think I'm sticking to cobble).