A Week on the Estate: Deflected Stonework, Swanning About & Superior Crumb
A little over a month ago, we had blue skies and daily highs of 27C. Now we’re well past the autumn equinox, the clocks go back next weekend and many of us have seen the season’s first frost. At the time of writing, Storm Babet has rolled in off the Atlantic bringing higher temperatures, strong winds and disruptive rainfall.
Out on the land, the hard work continues. Jonny was pictured drilling our organic winter oats last week and the whole team worked through till 1130pm to stay ahead of the rain. Big thanks to our hardworking contractors for getting the winter drilling finished in good time.
We’re also preparing for winter while still enjoying a fine harvest in the Walled Garden. From kidney beans to tomatoes, courgettes and fresh flowers, this gift of a green space just keeps giving and it certainly keeps Jacqui and Colin busy.
There’s never a dull moment when it comes to looking after an 18th-century property. South Ormsby Hall’s distinctive porch developed a crack with a 5mm deflection. We couldn’t force the stone flush without causing more damage but we’ve pinned the stonework and reduced the deflection to 2mm.
8mm stainless steel threaded rods set in an injectable two-part polyester resin knitted things together nicely, and the joints and drill holes were filled with hydraulic lime. You’ll see the irregularity if you’ve got sharp eyes, but the Hall wears its lines and wrinkles with pride.
