Dry Stone Walling Association South East Scotland Branch
  • Home
  • Programme
  • Training courses
  • Professional services
  • Blog
  • News
  • Get in touch
  • Links

Practical dyking (and bridging) day at Wooplaw

22/6/2015

0 Comments

 
On Sunday we revisited Wooplaw Community Woodland (www.wooplaw.org.uk - see blogs passim) to continue with the build of the wall we've been working on. As per usual, I forgot to take a 'before' picture - the excitement of getting to work seems to be just too much for me, I'm afraid. However, if you look back to the previous Wooplaw post (September 2014) you can see how we left it last time, which is pretty much how it was when we started this time.
Picture
I was pleased to see that the Stone Bridge (I've decided to capitalise it, so that it can become the Wooplaw Stone Bridge) was still up and functional.
Picture
While doing some wood-related work elsewhere in the woodland, Stephen (he's a man of may talents) had spotted another muckle stane which he reckoned should be added to the bridge. The good news was that it was easily big enough and flat enough. The bad news was that it was at pretty much the very far end of the wood. However, with the help of his barrow*, we managed to lug it over to the site.

* It may just have done some of the journey in the back of my car. Well, you wouldn't want it falling off the barrow and damaging the road, would you.
Picture
And after some improvements and extensions to the supporting retaining wall lining the ditch (which was a bit less muddy than previously - perhaps even due to the improved bridge no longer being a blockage point in the drainage system) the new stone fitted in very nicely.
Picture
And proof that either it's safe to walk over, or that Alan's very brave. 
Picture
Further down the same wall there's a place where we (well, Richard) had build an arch where the ditch crosses under the wall. The arch itself was still fine, but the copes above it had started to come off and the wall to one side had followed them down (proof, I'd say, of the soundness of the arch, at least).
Picture
Fortunately we'd caught it in time, and it was easy enough to build the wall back up and re-cope it.
Picture
Meanwhile, work was continuing apace on the wall, interrupted only by lunch and a brief break to rehouse a toad.
Picture
And by the end of the day we'd added another four meters or so (as yet uncoped, but we've got another couple of visits scheduled for this summer, so hopefully we'll get it all done before the winter).
Picture
Picture
Picture
Bob Fleet fae Wooplaw showed up just as we finished off and insisted on taking a photo of the gallant builders (less Stephen, who'd had to head off early as his wife is in danger of becoming a Wooplaw widow).
Picture
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    This blog, and the rest of the site, are produced by Donald McInnes, treasurer of the SES DSWA (I'm the baldy one, sometimes in a saltire hat).

    Archives

    May 2022
    December 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    August 2020
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    April 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    November 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013

    Categories

    All
    Practical Dyking Days

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.