Works in October and into November

At High Close Youth Hostel, our joiner has made an oak gate to their main entrance being partly funded by the hostel itself.

Our builders at present are working at High Ground farm relining a chimney flue so the tenant can install his multi-fuel stove but we found that the stone work to the three chimney stacks is perished and so we will have to rebuild the stacks with fresh stone acquired from Burlington quarries.

The stone comes with sawn edges so we have to dress the stone to make them look more in keeping with the age of the property - a labourious task.

The stack, with two flues, is beginning to take shape.  When we have completed this one, we move onto Slack Cottage at Wray to reline and fit a multi-fuel stove for the tenants.

SY Gondola Revisited

It's that time of year again when the Steam Yacht Gondola will be coming out of the water here at Coniston and we will be undertaking the annual maintenance work. The last sailing of the season will be Sunday 4 November 2012. In preparation, Bill and Russ have been replacing the keel blocks. 

                    

What is a keel block? you ask.  The above photographs show you that they are what the boat sits on as it comes out of the water.  These oak and metal ones are replacing the old ones that were made of larch.  More photographs to follow as work progresses.

"Hot Works" for Croft Farmhouse

This is to show the process of lead being welded to create the apron at the bottom of a chimney stack for Croft Farmhouse.  The work was carried out at Bowe Barn, Keswick and not on site as we are not allowed to use anything that can cause a fire in our properties so this reduces the risk of fire damage.  A permit needs to be obtained from the property's General Manager.  The process of lead welding has been developed instead of beating the lead into the shape required.  Oxygen and acetylene is used to get the lead up to the correct temperature to enable it to be shaped.

Congratulations...............

to Phill and his partner Sarah on the  birth of their son, Thomas David William born on 22 September.  Best wishes to all.  Here's hoping his plastering skills come in handy for the nappy changing!

Just a quick update on Eric's Joss Naylor challenge.  Unfortunately due to the adverse weather conditions - well it is the Lake District - he was unable to do more than the first section.  Eric and Darren were due to meet Eric's wife in the car park at the Kirkstone Inn but they had difficulty in finding her.  For anyone reading this who doesn't know the car park, it is small.  They also had driving rain and strong winds to contend with so it is with regret that the whole project has been abandoned for this year.

Just about three months ago Eric, our clerk of works, was 60 and I think had a mid-life crisis. 

He has decided to run the Joss Naylor Challenge. This challenge involves climbing 30 hill tops, crossing some 48 miles of mountain terrain and ascending nearly 17000 feet.  The route starts in Pooley Bridge, Ullswater and finishes at Greendale Bridge, Wasdale.  Each age group has a specific time limit varying between 12 and 24 hours with different times for men and women.  There is no emphasis on record times and pacers are mandatory for safety reasons.  Eric needs to finish within 18 hours and he has been collecting sponsors with the monies raised going to the mountain rescue.  He is starting the run on Saturday 18 August at 4am and Darren Moore will be running with him.  I will update you next week as to how he has gone on.

Fell Foot Farm, Little Langdale

At the same time the major rebuilding of a barn wall is taking place at Fell Foot, Little Langdale.  As you can see from the photographs, this work involves propping the floor and the whole roof to dismantle the wall and then rebuild it.  For this work we are using a local contractor, John Charnley, who is the son of our tenant farmer Philip Charnley.  The finished results will be in the next blog.

Galava Gate Roman Fort, Ambleside

It has been a while since our blog was updated but we have not been idle.  Our builders have been working with volunteers on the Roman fort at Galava Gate, Ambleside.  Works include de-turfing, cleaning and consolidation of existing walls.  Phill, Adam, John and Bryan have worked with different volunteers over the past 15 days helping them with the consolidation work on the walls of the fort that were last excavated in 1913.  The work has been carried out in conjunction with archaeologist Jamie Lund. The event is supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and forms part of the Windermere Reflections programme.





Low Hallgarth

Phill replastering an internal wall after the refurbishment of Low Hallgarth farmhouse using traditional materials, lime mortar and hair.

The property is prone to flooding so in the living room we lifted the existing stone flags and put a drain to the outside culvert to solve this problem. 

Interesting features in this property are the large oak beams supporting the ceilings and the wedding cupboard in the front room dated 1682.

We have just completed the refurbishment of High Loanthwaite, Hawkshead by installation of a new kitchen, central heating, secondary glazing, decoration and a new wood burning stove.  The two pictures below show the fireplace originally and after opening up the original alcove and installation of a multi fuel stove.



High Loanthwaite lounge fire before.....



and after, a bit of a difference.



 Re-furbished bathroom at High Loanthwaite

The builders have been busy too with the re-roof of Tilberthwaite Cottage using second hand slates and fixed with copper nails to ensure a longer lasting job.  Also the loft was insulated to bring the property up to more modern standards.



Adam fixing some slates with copper nails......




applying the bed for the sandstone ridge......




fixing the sandstone ridge and ......



the finished article.






A rather unusual task has been  to clear the void between Underhelm Cottage and the banking that it is built into as this void is blocked with silt causing damp and discolouration into the rear of the property.  A lot of our properties are built into the ground and this does cause a problem with damp and condensation on stone built structures dating from the late 1600s.  As you can see from the photographs, Ricky is demonstrating the use of a shovel specially adapted for the job. This can be rented - complete with operative - by anyone in a similar situation!

                                                       

                                                       

                                                       
                                                       

The finished job should stop the damp and discolouration in the cottage after a period of time.

Another interesting job for the joiners, Bill and Russ, was to remake the five sided seat that fits around the stone cairn on the piece of common land outside the Britannia Inn at Elterwater.  Again, constructed from pitch pine because of it's durability and we have even used some recycled wood from Allan Bank improving our carbon footprint.

The seat starting to take shape in the joiner's shop at Thwaite

                           

Bill adjusting the underneath

                              

Bill and Russ assembling in the joiner's shop before fitting at Elterwater

                              

Russ just testing that it works

                              

Allan Bank

We have just completed some interesting works at Allan Bank in Grasmere as a result of fire damage. We  have repaired the windows, made internal doors and repaired a large skylight all using reclaimed pitch pine.  This property is well worth a visit. Here are some photographs showing before and after.





Ceiling, roof and floor destroyed by fire.



Corner of main skylight showing fire damage.



New internal doors and floor fitted.





Skylight with new pieces manufactured and fitted and special glass to match the original.





The state of the sliding sash windows before repair.  These windows still have the original glass from the 1800s.





Write a blog they said.  It would be good for the yard profile they said.  All well and good but how do you start?  And how do you make it interesting?  Not sure on either count but here goes.

I suppose I need to start by explaining what Thwaite Yard does.  We are the base for the direct labour building team and are involved in the renovation and repair of vernacular buildings in the Lake District working with materials that were used in the original construction of our farmsteads, castles and large manor houses.  At this present time the Trust has 90 farms and associated buildings in the Lakes, around 350 residential properties plus 17 holiday cottages and important properties such as Wordsworth House, Sizergh Castle, Wray Castle, Hill Top.  A lot of these properties have private water supplies that have to be treated to ensure they meet the exacting current legislation.

Thwaite Yard

Over the next few weeks you will get to know us and learn what we do.