The Digger Comes

Week 5 – report of work for disabled access, toilet and kitchen 4th April – 8th April

This week has seen real progress outside of the church. The following has been achieved within the last week:

✔ A digger and dumper truck arrived on site and work started by removing the old tree stump.

✔ Soil and clay were dug out of the left bank, adjacent to the north entrance steps and deposited temporarily in the church field.

✔ The stone steps were loosened and gently transported to rest in the church field until the site is ready to reposition them.

✔ Using a laser, the levels for the ramp were set out prior to construction work. The radius for the ramp was marked out taking into consideration the low walls on each side of the path. At this point, whilst driving in a peg to support the shuttering, Will
discovered yet another drain! This one ran in the direction of Church Farmhouse and was damp, suggesting it is still operational. The covering stones were carefully replaced after inspection and recorded by camera.

✔ A line was set up to mark the gentle slope of the disabled ramp, and surprised us that the gradient was finally recorded at only 1 in 25, where 1 in 12 is the maximum slope. Two horizontal landings were included because there has to be one at the
start of the ramp, and the regulations dictate that a resting place must be included every five metres, hence we have included another halfway up the slope.

✔ Shuttering was set up to form a framework into which concrete will later be poured for the foundations of the low walls. More concrete will be poured behind the low walls to underpin the existing stone wall above. The existing foundations for the church wall are minimal!

✔ The hole under the font was filled-in and re-tiled using four redundant original tiles from the back of the toilet and secured with lime mortar and grouting. The residual cement mortar that was used to fix the font in place will be removed with
brick acid.

✔ Time was spent discussing and designing the plumbing system for the toilet and kitchen and the effect this will have on the studwork and plasterboard behind the toilet. A small cupboard will be included to allow access to the water stop tap. Similarly, the hole in the toilet floor was filled in and re-tiled using lime mortar.

✔ Derek carefully removed the hinges on the internal arched door with the help of an impact driver. It was decided to fit a new lock and door handles once the door is rehung to open in the opposite direction into the church.

✔ Derek, with John in his workshop have made good progress during the week, cutting the oak tongue and groove and gluing together the first of four new gates. Work also continued cutting the mortise and tenon joints on the second gate.

✔ Jon and John collected three sheets of oak faced board at the end of the week, that will be used to clad the outside of the toilet cubicle.

The main entrance to the north of the church remains closed until further notice, due to ground works for the new re-designed disabled ramp.

Access to the church and grounds will be possible via the west entrance adjacent to the Old Parsonage, as well as through the two small footpath gates.

John Pinch
9 April 2022