Our next volunteer workday will be Saturday 17th October, from 10am – about 4pm.
We will be creating the next layer of walling for the roundhouse, using cordwood, cob and bottle bricks.
A neat edging of dry stone stem walls, ready to receive the next layer of walling. This will be cord wood and bottles, held together with cob. Some of the cord wood we will be using can be seen stacked beyond the ladder. 
Working on the drystone stem walls. The logs piled behind give an idea what the next layer of walling (cordwood) will look like. 
Richard cut a hole in the rubber that was covering the skylight and let in the light! An ex-bus window was installed over the top to keep out the rain. 
Using a two man crosscut saw to cut a larch pole to length. The pole was used to provide extra support to one of the corners of the little lean-to. 
At the end of the day, reviewing what we have done and admiring the light coming through the roof light. We’re fond of the funky grass curtains hanging down across the front of the round house 🙂
Above – pictures from our September workday, when we built the drystone stem walls
The aim is to take the walls to about waist height (though we may not get that far in one workday!). This will leave the structure open and airy, as suited to pandemic times, but provide enough shelter to be able to install the wooden floor.
Cordwood walls are created by stacking logs, much as you would in a logpile. You can get an idea of what it will look like in the pictures above, as some of the cordwood we will be using is already stacked in the background.
The logs will be held together with layers of cob, which we will be mixing on the day (bring gloves and wear wellies!). The cob also helps exclude draughts. We will also be adding “bottle bricks” to make funky patterns and let in light (here are some beautiful examples).
If you want to come along and help, please get in touch 🙂
We need to know numbers in advance to ensure we have enough space to work safely distanced. We are not currently having a bring and share lunch, so please bring your own picnic lunch and your own mug for tea.