Reprofiling ...

Now we own a small bit of the neighbouring field, we can do something about the bank between it and us which is far too steep. It's difficult to mow it, even with a strimmer, as the grass is slippery both wet and dry.



This picture was taken from a way down the slope, so the bank doesn't look as steep as it really is.

However, I passed the local groundwork contractor just along the road today - he was digging out a hole for a neighbour's new septic tank. I asked him if he could quote for the work. Very good timing, as it turned out. Later that same afternoon:



Apparently getting rid of the soil is usually the problem, so kind M Veissiere will let us have the fill for free: the charge will only be for bringing his digger over and smoothing it out.

So far we've had three lorryloads.



We'll probably wait a few days - or weeks - for some more, but whenever there's a bit of digging going on locally it'll be brought here. To my surprise, it's actually quite good earth: better and with fewer large rocks than what we already have.

I'd guess we need a good ten loads more to make much of a difference to the slope. In the meantime we may well be out with a wheelbarrow and a riddle to improve the quality of the existing garden.

Big beam - my eye!

Today Mike and I shifted a big beam. It had to be removed to make an opening for the new staircase. Here it is where it started:



What we used was the modern equivalent of a block and tackle: a chain hoist. It made the work a lot easier than trying to lift the beam (I think it weighed close to a quarter of a ton - old oak, about 20cm by 30cm, and more than 4 metres long).



Here it's being lifted out after being cut to length. Then we moved the hoist - a couple of times in fact - ready to put it back in the fireplace:



It will support the new hearth - to be cast in concrete over and around it - and make it possible to have a fire in the big fireplace for the first time in a century or so.



It had to be notched at both ends and over the concrete wall, to make it possible to have a sufficient depth of concrete on top of it. Too thin and it will crack. We might get that done by the end of the week.

The next job is fixing the shuttering for the concrete, with reinforcing bars .....