After finishing the insecticide spray we've started taking up the old floorboards in the long room. This was the first bedroom from where we began removing the layer of cob from the upper loft space in early september. It will also be the one where we'll create a mezzanine. The floorboards were pretty well worm eaten with ancient wasp nests attached. The floor joists are, by contrast, in excellent condition. We are also removing the lath and plaster ceiling below. When finished all the wooden joists will be exposed and treated. After this we'll take down the ground floor dividing wall and refloor the first floor.
We've pretty much removed all the old floor and plaster work. Between some of the beams was a thick bed of winnowed chaff. We suspect it was put there on purpose for insulation. It was too packed to have got there by accident. We also found more insect structures. I'm not sure if they're bees or wasps.
The wood and plaster rubble is being deposited in the hangar. The wood - for burning and the plaster to become hardcore under the concrete floor of the hangar.

They did indeed arrive in the form of Rog and Barb. They started immediately, the day after arriving by ripping up the fence posts between the garden and the plot we bought last month. So we now have a seemless garden without barbed wire.

Rog then set to planting the hedge so it now continues across the garden to the road. Barb got roped in as well.

Barb painted all the boxes for the raised beds. I thought we'd go a bit pastel this time round. I'd normally use creosote but I thought colours would be nice for a change. At the bottom is a schematic for the veg plot.

Barb mowed this plot and its finally starting to look like a unified garden. This area is just behind the barns.

With our rock steady crew we started talking out the upper floor in the middle and first bedrooms which involved ripping out the old plaster ceilings and getting rid of the joists, cob and floorboards. This floor, like the one in the long bedroom, had a thick layer of cob as well as a multitude of old family possessions. Our intention is to expose the roof beams (purlins) and the 'A' frame. The first shots are of the middle bedroom. We've removed the wall between this bedroom and the landing area. We're in the process of treating the beams to prevent infestation or kill off any woodworm that might be in the wood.

This is the smaller of the three bedrooms and is at the top of the staircase. There was a an area outside of this room alongside the stairs which was just wasted space. The wall has now been removed and this area will be incoprorated into the first bedroom.

This area is the size of a room and originally housed a shower unit. Very weird. This will become a corridor and the extra space will be incorporated into the middle bedroom

These are shots before and after the attic space, above the bedrooms and landing, was removed.

These are some of the abandoned objects left in the attic space, including old school books owned by Monsieur Robert Dulac, the grandfather of the former owner.

Barb did a sterling job of removing the old sink which sat alongside the bread oven as well as the tiles which surrounded it. She managed to retrieve a vintage soap dish which was set into the wall.

Just in case we were getting bored, our supply of winter wood was delivered while our troops were in residence. Thanks to their help we got it moved and stacked in record time.

Naturally all work and no play is gonna make us very dull boys and girls, so we did have our evening chill zones. Rog even went as far as making grape jam...I kid you not.

I can't finish the page without including some of Barb's wonderful shots.