Now that the floor is fixed down, we’ve been able to get on and get the strawbales in. First, wooden spikes made of willow are driven into holes in the floor –
Then the first layer of bales is placed onto the spikes which prevent them from moving around. Subsequent layers of bales are spiked through with long thinner willow to hold them together, and we’ve also anchored the bales to the frame with baler twine.
William driving a willow stake through the first two layers of bales
The little doorway out into the woodstore is one we were given by our friend Briony, as are the old timber lintels we used to face the door reveals, and which have been rescued from old buildings.
The east end of the building is more fiddly with the window and door, but we’re nearly there, just the area over the door to do now. The low window seat will give a nice area for groups of people to gather.
Now we have to begin the process of trimming and shaping the bales in preparation for a coat of clay slip, which will give a surface for a coat of cob to level out the surface prior to final plastering.
