WORKING AT AN OLD ROCK COTTAGE

Helping at The Elms, Gronant, North Wales, July/August 2013.

Sister Janet and Sheila atop the old rock cottage called The Elms, built about 1840. 

Over the last few years, Janet has gutted the inside, and her husband Stuart has maintained the gardens, where they keeps bees.

Workers put up scaffolding at The Elms, Gronant, North Wales, 

so that the roof can be redone with its own and reclaimed slate. 

The chimney has already been restored, with two missing pots being replaced.

Thom measures how much ridge stone is needed.

Jan has found the sandstone ridge stone at a local reclamation yard.

Simon the roofer removes the slate tiles, saving the good ones to use again.

This photo shows the thickness of the rock walls

Thom and Jan collect the broken slate. 

It goes to the top garden...

... where it disappears down an abandoned mine air shaft.

While there is light in the loft (attic) we decide to clean it out...

... including removing this three feet wide wasps' nest, thankfully abandoned.

As well as cobwebs, there is lime rubble from the back of the slates.

Time to go to work!

Janet removes the wasps' nest

First we sweep and then we vacuum. The men may laugh, but...

don't you think it's worth it?

Simon removes the aged batons off the roof. He has a grand view of the sea.

Jan and Thom load up the old wood strips.

The old batons go onto the bonfire, which will be lit on Guy Fawkes night (5th November).

After roofing paper and new wooden strips are secured, the slate is replaced.

Jan and Stuart with Simon and the completed slate job. 

The ridge stones and coping stones will be laid by the stone mason, Gary, 

who has already worked on the chimney

Coping stone for the roof edges need to be replaced, 

and Thom cuts reclaimed paving to size for the job.

Sheila scrubs the Halifax soot off the stones.

Jan and Stuart's grandson rinses down the coping stones.

The sandstone coping is ready to go up to the roof. 

Some stones are hauled up with a rope and bag. 

Jan and Stuart empty the bag of an old stone that has been sent down by Thom.

The worn out ridge stones go to the hen house.

After the bag starts to rip, the last of the coping stones are carried up.

Jan and Stuart check the progress of the roof

Jan paints the new facia board, and the new gutters are ordered.

Thom spruces up the bee shed...

... but the old tool shed goes off to the bonfire.

The tools have been moved to the garden shed, where Thom added a tool board and shelf.

Special sand is ordered for the stone mason to complete his work.

Temperatures have been above normal and there has been no rain since the roof work started; 

it's hot work for Gary the stone mason.

Sheila gets a bench ready to paint - it's from the recently disbanded Mostyn Bowling Green Club. There are three to refinish.