Church cottage in East Garston
This old little house has been full of surprises. A big part of the old flooring and joist system had to be redone because of its very bad state. That involved having an eye under the-probably-300-years-old-floorboards. Broken clay pipes, leather straps and brass boucles, copper needles and few other little treasures. I'll try to add a copy of the Victorian newspaper article describing the hanging of a man in the area.
Below, the new wall plate, scarfed in the old one, with a wedged dovetail in the tie beam and slip tenon.
The top part of the chimney was completely dismanteled, the bricks kept in the right order and masoned with a brand new hot mixed lime mortar. The thatched roof had to be separeted from the rest of the house with fire rated boads laid on a softwood skin that also gets some insulation. Thousands of sweetchestnut laths to support some lovely lime plaster.
