Duck Street Quarry - the story continues: 13-05-2014

Today we had a good turn out of fifteen able bodied NCVs, meeting Paul and Colin Slator up at Duck Street Quarry, to continue the work started four weeks ago. Before leaving the car park we:

1. gave Colin STRICT instructions that he was not to even consider starting to burn off the thatch on the adjacent field again (see entry from 15.04.14 to see why!);
2. frisked him to ensure he had no matches concealed about his person in case he ignored point (1) above.

Health and safety talk's over and everyone's ready to start. 

Colin's smiling a secretive smile.....has he got some 

matches hidden away in that trouser pocket?

The group split up into two teams - the first to create steps in the steep sections of path and to finish off the rope fencing; the second to build a bridge across a ravine to ensure visitors to the quarry did not have to endanger themselves at the top of the cliff.

Making the steps involved cutting toe holds into the hillside and then inserting slabs of rock and/or gravel into the exposed soil. Luckily the soil was wet and of a heavy, clay consistency which could be squidged  under and around the edge of the large stones to keep them level. 

The steps are slowly cut into the hillside and tested for safety, 

for both walking up and walking down.


Colin  elects to carry out the difficult task of watching the ladies' team at work.

Rather less fortunately, the rocks and gravel had to be collected from a good distance away at the bottom of the hill and barrowed across, before being carried uphill to their final resting place. 

Gravel shovelling was made difficult as it had to be salvaged 

from compacted spoil heaps.

The land owner takes time out to survey his patch....

... and makes sure that the step cutters don't slack in their task... 

..... before going off to do some early 

flowering purple orchid spotting.

One section of steps required a higher level of engineering - wood had to be used to make boxes to hold the gravel. Hannah, Laura and Terry made a good start on these but further work is needed to finish the job.

Angela and Julia worked to re-site some of the iron rods and then got busy threading through the two lengths of new rope from the point at which we ran out last time. Unfortunately even these were insufficient to reach the end of the path and an extra piece of old rope had to be found to finish off the job.

Julia practises her needle threading technique.

Whilst all of this was going on a major construction event was taking place at the top of the quarry. One of the group working on the high level walk-way tells me that the design 'evolved' but to me it looked like a very well planned bridge that Isambard Kingdom Brunel would have been proud to put his name to. Apparently Graham's expertise was useful here but Dave B. did a lot of the stone laying, Graham, Colin and Dave L. the sawing and Alastair and Tony most of the stone collecting.

A band of busy bridge building beavers.

Graham had a yodel to try out the quarry's acoustics.

The team decide to run off and hide 

whilst Alistair counts to 100.

Was it wise to dig that far down?

 A bridge that would not look out of place over the River Kwai.

The bridge team hold their breath as they test out the construction for strength.

At 2pm the heavens opened but the determined NCVs toiled on, after a quick dash for some waterproofs. However, after a while, as the water started to permeate the most private of parts, everyone decided that enough was enough. It was time to pack up!

Anita and Ros E. "singing in the rain"

Hey Ho; Hey Ho; it's home from work we go....

Ros E.