July 2020

We had planned to have a temporary roof over the building so that the external works were not reliant on the weather, but unfortunately cost-savings meant that this had to be sacrificed. Since the replacement slate roof will be traditional wet laid, ie bedded on a lime mortar, bad weather could result in a major delay to the programme, so it has been a priority to complete the roof works over the summer months.

This month has seen significant progress. The structural investigations were concluded and the schedule of repairs and strengthening were all agreed, and works on the repairing the main roof structure have now been completed. The two principal A-frames on the masonry (west) end of the building had previously broken and been subsequently repaired, but would not have been strong enough for the new slating, so these were replaced with new timbers.

Initial cladding of the roof has now been carried out, and as shown in the photos, the build-up includes breathable sheathing panels, a layer of sarking insulation, a breathable membrane, with counter-battens on top. The roof is now weather-proof, and ready for slating. The walls of the timber frame (east) end of the building still require repairs and strengthening, so slating will start on the masonry (west) end.

Preliminary works on the ground floor have now been completed, ready to reinstate the timber floor. It has been dug out with some localised underpinning carried out where necessary, air bricks inserted, and foundations, sleeper walls and a layer of limecrete are all now in place.

External works have included bringing in a new gas supply from the street. This has required the lane to be closed for several days, and we are most grateful to our neighbours for their patience.