I recently moved into a new house. It has some pretty fancy brick and stone work on the exterior. In particular it has some decorative courses about 4 feet from the foundation that consist of some bricks laid perpendicular to the wall and angled down at 45% with some other supporting courses. Kind of reminds me of a wainscot effect. I think I have heard this design feature referred to as something to do with rain. Like rain shed course, or rain deflect course. While it does probably serve to kick some of the water flowing down the wall away from the foundation, I think it is really mostly done for the decorative look. My question is "What is this design feature in brick walls actually called?"

Rowlock.

I know it as a rain sill. If there's a proper name, I don't know of it. Row lock is AFAIK not a feature but rather a pattern.

Technically, yes. But most sills (which was the subject) are typically called "rowlock" by builders and brick layers as being the most used orientation of sill bricks. (at least when I was building, in Florida)

But you are correct that it is a sill (slanted) regardless of styling.

Brick/masonry water table?

The orientations of a brick all have names.

A standard brick laid on its wide side with its narrowest side facing out is a stretcher. If it's standing upright and it's narrow side is facing out its a soldier. If it's upright but it's wide side is facing out it's a sailor. If it's narrow side is out and it's laid perpendicular to the wall so as to bridge the airgap, as often used at a sill, it's a rowlock.

Back when solid masonry walls were being built out of multiple wyths of brick, this pattern "locked the rows" together. A header brick would do the same but that is when it is laid flat.

If it is not at a window sill, then this rowlock or header course would be called a water table course.

I think rain sill is what I may have heard it called. It is actually made of 4 rows of brick. First row is a stretcher row sitting proud of the wall by about 1/3 witdth. The second row is a stretcher row sitting an additional 1/3 proud of the wall face, the third row is a row of bricks on their edges perpendicular to the wall angled down at 45 degrees (like and angled soldier) and then a 4th row of stretchers sitting about 1/3 proud, then the stretchers from there up go back to being flush.

Now that I have a proper name for this design feature I have a question regarding exterior lighting that I will start a new thread for.

Thanks