Despite inclement weather, a dedicated team managed to continue adding a large number of pine lathes to the hall.
The snow also provided an opportunity to take pictures of the site in costume.
Work on the construction of the front porch continued. The rafters for its roof were laid, and sarking boards placed in preparation for shingling. Lead plates were fitted in the valley between the porch and the main roof in order to make the join watertight.
This was a weekend of heavy machinery. We hired a digger to create a moat around the longhall. A small truck was also hired to transport the first load of several thousand oak shingles. Each one will be scalloped by hand and nailed onto the sarking boards.
The daubers attempted a new recipe for the infill, adding topsoil and cow dung to the previous combination of sharp sand, clay and straw. This recipe seems much more effective and long lasting. It was decided that in future rubber gloves should be worn for protection.
Much work was done to further completion of the framework of the longhall. Door and window frames were erected at the west side of the hall, and more lathes were laid in preparation for daubing. Shingling began at the front of the hall.
New beginnings were also the order of the day on the palisade, as a new team began work on this part of the project.
Elsewhere, land clearance continued, and repairs were carried out on the cottage.
Work continued in all aspects of the project. Woodworkers continued the construction of the back porch, and the first shingles were laid on the front porch. Daubing and palisade construction continued, and valuable work was done to clear both the site and moats of summer weeds.
A full week at Wychurst allowed much to be achieved. The addition of a cement mixer made a great difference to the rate at which daubing could be completed, and the team far exceeded the hoped-for target, completing many panels over the course of the week.
The final touches were put to the construction of the back porch, and the front porch was battened. The palisade team set a good pace, completing more and more sections per day. The effect of continued shingling also made a noticeable difference to the appearance of the hall by the end of the week.
We hired a small JCB to fill the French drains around the site with flints. This has made the site a great deal less waterlogged.
The shingling team made excellent progress this weekend. By the end of the weekend over half of the front of the roof had been shingled, while another team started work on the back roof.
Meanwhile, several sections of palisade were completed and the forestry team dispatched and disposed of eight Corsican pines. This task is an essential part of restoring the site to its original state.
Particular progress was made this weekend in the construction of the porches at either side of the hall. Sarking boards were laid on the roof of the back porch, so that it is now ready for shingling. Shingling was completed on the front porch roof, and gratifyingly the shingles from each side of the porch met in perfect alignment at the ridge. Shingling progressed at a good pace on the rest of the front of the roof.
Elsewhere, daubing and palisading continued at a steady pace.
We made a start in tidying and rationalising the site this weekend, in preparation for the next season. This included tidying the area where tools are currently stored, and beginning to rationalise our wood stocks.
Land clearance and shingling continued.