Rod, Tony and Catriona  more or less brought the wall up to the height it was when it was dismantled, but apart from very large and mostly misshapen stones which will match the existing toppers, there is very little walling stone left.Andrew has promised more stone from a mystery location will be delivered in due course.

The wall at Lunchtime

Rod. B
Photo- Tony
No. Wallers: 3

Bit chilly and some very noisy geese. Better progress this week from Barry, Duncan and Graham. Some very neat walling by Barry on the facing side and some interesting cobble walling on the other!

 

 

Graham D.
No. Waller: 3

A nice clear but slightly chilly day to restart at Fellbeck.  Andrew's Dogs were there to welcome us with a rousing chorus, and things were very much as we left them one and a half years ago.

Fair progress was made but we all sighed heavily at 2:30 and decided nuff was nuff. Our backs agreed!  Liz Milner caught us having lunch and was pleased to see folk out again. All gates closed. 

 

Chris G & Richard H.

No. Wallers: 4

Graham, Duncan & Barry arrived in good time & exchanged reunion greetings at Markenfield after release from lockdown restrictions this week. The public footpath across the field adjacent to the car park has now been fenced on both sides as a narrow beast-free passage. However, we didn’t explore this access route as the wheelbarrow dropped off by Barry at the bridle path to the east needed a smoother surface on which to roll, so we all took the longer route round.

Graham’s repair of the wall end at the field junction had again been damaged by careless tractor driving, we were disappointed to note.

An ambitious placing of the line meant that a search was needed for limestone of sufficient height on the first course to be laid, while the sandstone cobbles on the other side were more plentiful. Graham opted to uncover, grade, and lay out the already stored stone while Barry & Duncan began to build, swopping places during the morning. Rich paid a short visit having supervised the other walling team start at Fellbeck, and offered words of encouragement, the mutual feelings of pleasure at being back to walling shared amongst us. Lunch was taken early and work then continued until 1.30pm for a short first-day back, and the lengthy return along the track (with the wheelbarrow that wasn't needed - one already on site!), bone dry in contrast to Fogfield's ground conditions.

Pictures at close of play.

 

 

 

Barry S.

No. Wallers - 3
 

 Happy New Year

Hi again. Not much to Report here. I don't think we'll be out walling for a long while yet.  it's disappointing but I'd rather be safe than sorry. 

I took hundreds of photos of the snow yesterday, one or two of which I was going to share with you, however, and I've never encountered this before, my phone didn't save the pictures! Not one. 

So here's a photo from Nosterfield Nature Reserve, near the Thornborough Henges from a week ago.

 

 

I thought it was a lovely place, but There were a few swans who landed on the frozen lake, stayed for a few minutes and thought better of it. Their take off noises seemed to indicated that their wings were in need of a good oiling.

 I hope you are all well and that you all had a  lovely Christmas.

 Rich

 Happy Christmas

Well It's been a strange old year. We've not seen each other much, but the occasions we have managed to get were lovely. I hope you're all fairing well and that you have a great Christmas and new year. I'll hope to see you all some time in the coming year. 

I think you may recognise this scene. (it's not my Photo)

 See you all soon

Rich

Portugal

 

A bit of correspondence between Rod and me with my daft questions omitted.  Be both thought you might be interested.

These photos were taken about 300 metres from the house in Portugal. The stone is limestone, more amenable than Greenhow limestone in that despite being very hard and heavy you can dress it to some extent. There seems to be a lot of front pinning, which is just starting to fall away, but that does seem to be common practice in those parts. The trees behind the wall look to be about 75 years old at a very hazarded guess which might give a date for the wall.

They are retaining walls and very thick, probably built as much as a place to deposit clearance stone as a means of levelling cultivated land on a slope. There were some free standing walls in the adjacent area all built in a very similar style with the bases around 600/700 mm thick and around chest height, but often with no proper toppers. Perhaps the lack of rain and winter frost might account for this, but you would think goats and sheep would soon damage the walls in the absence of a good topper.