Week starting 23rd March - the last week of work for a while now!

This was to be the last week of building for some time. Time to start and get the landscaping repaired and grass seed sown etc. etc..

A small but essential job was the creation of a manhole over the incoming water supply. This was duly shuttered, concrete poured and there is now easy access to the mains water supply.

Drains were laid around the back of the porch and the plastic membrane was secured to the outside of the porch wall - this whole area was then back-filled with gravel.

A small retaining wall was built to the side of the doorway.

The porch roof then took up the remainder of the week. New timbers were laid over the main porch area, allowing for the building in of a small velux.

Then an old oak entrance was created in front of the doorway. Old oak beams from the ruin were cleaned up and used.

The whole roof over the porch and entrance was then battened, felted, battened and then tiled with 'under' and 'over' tiles, the same as the rest of the house.

For the time being - work has ceased on the building.

Week Starting 2nd February - the insulation arrives!

A dry week - despite the forecast!

The stonework on the west gable has been completed and a use found for the curved stone that came out of the ruin.

A time consuming job has been the detail just under the roof line, this has been created with a layer of terracotta, then (standing out a little further) a layer of curved tiles (standing out even further) and finally a further layer of terracotta.

Thursday afternoon saw the eventual arrival (delay caused by storm damage to the factory in Toulouse) of the insulation and so now the building looks as if it is wrapped in kitchen foil.

The base has been put in for the entrance porch and the blockwork for this was started on Friday afternoon. The chimney stack has been begun (so we are hoping for no more high winds!)