October News
ROSEMOOR RESTORATION REPORT FROM MICHAEL ELLIOTT - 23rd October 2019
This week the team continued rebuilding of the basin wall near the tucking mill, using many wheel-barrow lands of back-fill and stone. This job is nearly complete.
This week the team continued rebuilding of the basin wall near the tucking mill, using many wheel-barrow lands of back-fill and stone. This job is nearly complete.
|
|
On the tucking mill itself, the spillway had excavated a deep sump, so to prevent the erosion from undermining the dam, further barrow loads of rubble were tipped into the sump to break up the force of the water. Fortunately, there is no shortage of small rocks as the stone walls of the time were only faced with dressed stone, with the middle of the walls filled with rubble. When the mill and limekilns were abandoned and robbed of their stone, the in-fill was left behind.
The last job was an urgent repair of the exposed tucking mill wall to prevent the upper sections collapsing. This part has been shifted over by about 6 or 7cm by tree roots over many years. It is not clear if this was the wall of a chamber next to the canal, or a retaining wall.
Generally, working parties are held every Wednesday morning, meeting in the main car park at RHS Rosemoor, Torrington at 9.30am. New volunteers are always welcome. Please contact Ian Harrison (01237 475707) for more information. |
|
ROSEMOOR RESTORATION REPORT FROM TONY NICHOLLS - 16th October 2019
Further heavy rain over the last week has made working conditions on site very difficult – the area immediately in front of the basin wall has become something of a quagmire. Anyone standing in one position for too long is likely to lose their wellingtons! The canal has also developed a fine green carpet of pondweed.
Further heavy rain over the last week has made working conditions on site very difficult – the area immediately in front of the basin wall has become something of a quagmire. Anyone standing in one position for too long is likely to lose their wellingtons! The canal has also developed a fine green carpet of pondweed.
|
Despite the difficulties, we continued with the restoration of the basin wall and managed to lay another five metres of stone. We have now reached a section of wall adjacent to the bund which is in reasonably good condition and we do not intend to rebuild this. Some repointing is probably all that is required to stabilise this. Good stone (i.e. with at least one good face) is in short supply and this is hampering progress but we still hope to complete the wall in the next two weeks. |
Elsewhere, excavation on the tucking mill continued. Our team of amateur archaeologists have removed huge quantities of earth around one of the internal walls which is now fully revealed. The structure is precarious and will need to be dismantled and rebuilt in order to make it stable – a challenging job for the future. We also spent some time digging out the bed of the old mill leat. This has exposed stonework at the base of the leat which is in excellent condition and defines the shape of the original channel which fed the mill waterwheel. We believe this was an undershot wheel although, in the absence of any old pictures, this is pure speculation.
|
|
|
Generally, working parties are held every Wednesday morning, meeting in the main car park at RHS Rosemoor, Torrington at 9.30am. New volunteers are always welcome. Please contact Project Manager, Ian Harrison (tel.01237- 475707) for more information.
ROSEMOOR RESTORATION REPORT FROM TONY NICHOLLS - 2nd October 2019
The recent heavy rain has resulted in a steady flow of water into the upper basin. This required the construction of a makeshift coffer dam last week to prevent water flowing into our working area. The stop boards in the sluice were removed to divert the water behind the dam into the old mill leat. Having seen the volume of water now running down the leat, the rationale for siting a water-powered mill in this location becomes obvious.
The recent heavy rain has resulted in a steady flow of water into the upper basin. This required the construction of a makeshift coffer dam last week to prevent water flowing into our working area. The stop boards in the sluice were removed to divert the water behind the dam into the old mill leat. Having seen the volume of water now running down the leat, the rationale for siting a water-powered mill in this location becomes obvious.
|
With the tree stumps removed, we have been able to dig out the foundations of the final section of the upper basin wall in preparation for rebuilding. (Work was slightly delayed while we rescued a young frog which had been disturbed and re-homed him in a safer place!). We managed to lay some more foundation stones, installed shuttering along the excavated section and poured concrete to provide a base for further rebuilding. We hope to complete this work – weather permitting – in the next 2-3 weeks.
|
|
Excavation of the former tucking mill continues. This week, we started to remove some of the earth from the bank of the leat. There is a well-preserved section of stonework here which we presume runs right up to the canal and would have formed part of the external wall of the building. More interesting ironwork has been unearthed which has been added to our growing collection of artefacts.
Generally, working parties are held every Wednesday morning, meeting in the main car park at RHS Rosemoor, Torrington at 9.30am. New volunteers are always welcome. Please contact Project Manager, Ian Harrison (tel.01237- 475707) for more information.