Toads and Newts

Not a lot of building done today,  as Justin, Graham, Catriona and I took down the next section of wall. We're getting to the steep section on both sides of the wall so it's a bit slow going. Apart from shifting stone and muck we came across 5 or 6 toads and a newt who were all re-homed further up the wall.

Richard H.
No. Wallers: 4

Toppers On

Justin Catriona, Graham and I endured the midges of Hillend too put the final 2 courses up and finish it orf with a few upright toppers. Our supply of which is now exhausted as was I after having put some of the larger specimens in place.
Just the other half to go now!

 Just before lunch

 Field side end of the day

 Track side end of the day

Track side end of the day

Richard H.
No. Wallers: 4

Hillend

Steady progress this week with Tony (who walked to site from the Heathfield caravan site) joining us - well we joined him really as he arrived first.
Graham, Roderick, and Catriona  worked on the build assisted by Justin for the morning, while I began dismantling the pile of stones and grading them. A good supply of large stones brought up the wall height to a satisfying finish at 3pm.

Barry S.
Photos by Barry, Tony and Graham
No. Wallers: 6

Hillend week 2

Arrived slightly early this morning to find Graham already on the job with a line up and Justin in attendance.
Decided to part-excavate the retaining wall (which has only a face of stone) in order to give it more substance so the first hour was spent barrowing earth off site with Rod & Justin, while Catriona and Graham built up the top section.
Foundations laid in the new trench plus another course and a bit, and the top section ready for coping stones next week.
A welcome tray of tea and simnel cake from Liz & Hester mid-afternoon sustained us for the last hour of work.

 Greenfly everywhere

Wall at lunchtime

End of the day

Barry S.

No. Wallers: 5

Hillend Start. HIllstart?

A good sized team consisting of Barry, Catriona, Graham, Rod, and I were joined by the home owner Justin to start on the new project at Hillend. The take down had already started when I arrived, late, having been to take a look at a future wall. Various things were found in the wall including bits of glass, Victorian and more recent pottery, a military/livery button and a toad in the hole.

Start of the day

Taking down

End of the day

Bottom 2 photos thanks to Graham
Richard H.
No. Waller: 6

Finished in two weeks!

Graham, Barry, Roderick, Catriona and I have finished the Low Waite job in such record time that it feels as though we havn't really started yet. The stone was running low at the end, although we still had some left over spare parts, but then you always seem to when you building something.

The only inconvenience came from the (very) slow but steady stream of cars passing us, but it was not enough to stop us starting and finishing in two weeks. Oscar watched on from a hole in a nearby tree as we put the final toppers in place and headed off to look at our next job just down the lane.

Richard - The owner wasn't around when we'd finished but sent this message to the group

"Thank you so much for the wall it looks amazing. I am sorry I wasn’t there today to thank you. It puts the rest of the wall to shame."

 This wall has the largest number of through stones of any wall we've done. I think it has more in this 10 yard section than the whole of Markenfield.

Mid day.

 Afternoon and the wall is at topper height

 A finished wall - Unfortunately no-one brought any  bubbly for the topping out ceremony

Oscar surveying the scene

Richard H.

No. Wallers: 5

IN OTHER NEWS

Tony has been surveying past walls on his way to and from The Tour de Yorkshire. Thankfully Ivin Waite is still upright.

New site - Low Waite

A pretty nice day to start back at Greenhow, with the added bonus that we have a carpark available directly across from the site. Catriona and I met at the showgroubd carpark in Pateley and with a diversion to Bewerley to pick up some tools we headed to Low Waite hoping not to meet anything coming the other way.
The Struggle to park in Richard's (the landowner) drive was a one time only operation since he has negotiated with a neighbour that we can park right by the site. Having relocated to the new parking space Barry drove up the long drive and joined us.
This wasn't our final waller of the day though because nearly a year since he last walled with us Matthew turned up in the afternoon and helped us add a bit of height. I nice surprise.

 Prior to starting

Clearing and tidying

Nearly cleared and time for some lunch

Foundations and a second course

End of the day with a third course added.

Richard H.

No. Wallers: 4