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.