Wallers' Update
by Graham
As this week's walling news was quite lengthy I have decided to give them a blog entry all to themselves, so - take it away Graham!!!!
We've left Breaks Fold farm for the time being and moved onto a project at Low Waite farm on the Eagle Hall road near Pateley Bridge.
An existing gate for walkers needs replacing but the new gate, because of "rules" has to be placed 50 metres away. The footpath team have knocked down a bit of wall to install the new gate and we are to build a wall where the original gate was and make good in between. With a road on one side and a slope on the other, we knew this was going to be hard work.
The new gate is going here -
courtesy of the footpath team
The new gate gap from the road
In addition, Liz suggested steps adjacent to the gate would be very useful and, in terms of stone supplies, there was a pile behind the farmhouse amongst the nettles which would need sorting and moving. And before we started work it began to drizzle and continued until after coffee break!
However the 5 strong team got stuck in.
Dave and Duncan spent much of the morning sorting the stone pile. Unfortunately there are no photos to show off their hard work. It is hoped to move much of the sorted stone next week using Liz's trailer.
Rod and Andy set about creating some steps. These photos, however, don't do justice to the size of some of the stones which had to be dug and levered out of the ground, nor the quality of the final result and the back braking effort involved.
Andy looks at the second of the two
large stones to be levered out.
Rod shows off Andy's
(and his) hard work.
Midday, and Rod and Andy have
created a base for the steps.
The site from the road at midday.
Step task completed
After lunch Dave and Duncan joined Graham doing partial rebuilding where needed, and a little while later Andy came to do the same. Much of the wall is a retaining wall and relatively solid when touched but unstable when disturbed. We like disturbing walls! After Breaks Fold Farm which was a straightforward project this one is less so.
A bit of a mess!
Same mess, but Duncan and
Dave are dealing with it.
Andy moves on from steps
and starts some dismantling.
Requires some expert
rebuilding next week.
A lovely afternoon emerged, by which time we were all worn out. We look forward to next week, when with a new gate installed, we can get a clearer view on how to proceed. All in all, we were pleased with the day's work
