Wallers' update

 

WALLERS' NEWS

The Nidderdale wallers have been busy at Breaksfold Farm over the last two Wednesdays. They are going to have their very own blog entry this weekend to make sure that you are all kept up to date, so read on to see their progress.....

22nd July 2026 by Barry:

Benign conditions greeted six of us as we arrived early on North Moor Road, cloudy but warm with barely any wind. The Knabs Ridge turbines remained motionless all day. Everyone took up preferred positions along the working stints. Rod & Simon added five courses and topped out the first five metres, then assisted Dave & Andy on the next, while Barry & Wayne brought the end section up to meet it. Much hammer work was again needed to fashion level courses out of unpromising material, but steady progress was made with the prospect of completing this section next time. Curlews and Oyster catchers alerted us to several fly-overs by red kites, else all was calm. Very warm work when the sun did break through on occasions, so a 2.30 finish was agreed.

Fine tuning at the end of the day

Lots of small stones, not the easiest to work with

Looks pretty neat and tidy

To level up and top out next week

29 July 2026 by Graham:

It was a warm and often cloudy day for walling, excellent for the six of us continuing with the task at Breaksfold - fortunately nowhere near as oppressive as some previous weeks. This being Wayne's third week of walling, he first spent a morning with Graham, learning how to dismantle the next four yards of wall, whilst the rest of the group finished what was left over from last week. 

By lunchtime their eight yard section had been brought up to height and topped out, whilst  Wayne and Graham had done the reverse and  taken down their section to soil level.  In the afternoon, Wayne moved on to another new task, namely that of laying foundations of the dismantled section.  Graham and Rob dismantled another four yards of wall whilst  Andy and Duncan moved mountains, tidying up all the loose stone from previous weeks' sessions; quite some task. Overall another productive week's walling and some excellent training for Wayne.

Wayne looks at the morning's work ahead of him

By lunchtime the wall has disappeared

Again by lunchtime, last week's wall had been completed

Rob looks at his afternoon's dismantling task

 Dave and Wayne completed the foundations

End of day and time to pack up