Hagg Leys Farm

Author: stephen (Page 50 of 61)

Setting up the raised beds in the polytunnel

May 7, 2013 /

One side of the polytunnel has been set up with staging.  The other side is going to have raised beds for growing vegetables.

I picked up the raised beds and the “veggie” soil from Tommy Topsoil (http://www.tommytopsoil.com/) near Halifax this morning.  I bought loose soil which was loaded onto the back of the pickup as well as two 8ft x 4ft raised beds.  It took most of the afternoon to set them up, but they are now ready for planting.

The L200 will carry about 1 ton on the back. With a cubic meter of soil on the back, we are just about full!

The L200 will carry about 1 ton on the back. With a cubic meter of soil on the back, we are just about full!

Two raised beds (8ft x 4ft) setup side by side. It took a cubic meter of soil to fill these two raised beds.

Two raised beds (8ft x 4ft) setup side by side. It took a cubic meter of soil to fill these two raised beds.

Metal detecting in the top field

May 7, 2013 /

I bought a metal detector some time ago and we decided that this weekend (with the fine weather and the Bank Holiday) would be a good time to give it a whirl around the top field. 

It didn’t take long to find stuff, but it wasn’t exactly treasure.  In fact, there appears to be a lot of bit of ferous material in the field, so we turned the sensitivity down and only search for non-ferous metal.  No coins or gold, just half a spoon and an old trolley wheel! But I can see how people get addicted to this as a hobby.

Garrett EuroAce Metal Detector. It discriminates between ferous and non-ferous metails. Shame it doesn't discriminate between treasure and rubbish!

Garrett EuroAce Metal Detector. It discriminates between ferous and non-ferous metails. Shame it doesn’t discriminate between treasure and rubbish!

Half a spoon, a belt buckle and a trolley wheel. Not exactly treasure!

Half a spoon, a belt buckle and a trolley wheel. Not exactly treasure!

3D Internal views

May 7, 2013 /

I posted the  3D external views a few days ago, but here are the internal views.  These images do a great job at providing an impression of the interior once it is finished.  Again, these are the handiwork of One17Design – our architects.

Click on any of the images below to zoom in.

We have seen this view from the other side, but now the existing cottages have been removed and a section taken through the new extension. You can see how the land rises, but the roof line remains level - giving a double height kitchen, but a single height master bedroom.

We have seen this view from the other side, but now the existing cottages have been removed and a section taken through the new extension. You can see how the land rises, but the roof line remains level – giving a double height kitchen, but a single height master bedroom.

With the front of the house to camera right, this is a section through the kitchen and lounge. The kitchen is double height with a balcony from the office space in the existing cottage. The lounge is in the new extension and is a height and a half.

With the front of the house to camera right, this is a section through the kitchen and lounge. The kitchen is double height with a balcony from the office space in the existing cottage. The lounge is in the new extension and is a height and a half.

One of the ensuite bathrooms is shown on the far right. There is a large opening in the end wall of the lounge connecting the lounge to the kitchen. The roof trusses in the new extension are exposed. With the roof lights and large sliding glass doors, there is going to be a lot of light here.

One of the ensuite bathrooms is shown on the far right. There is a large opening in the end wall of the lounge connecting the lounge to the kitchen. The roof trusses in the new extension are exposed. With the roof lights and large sliding glass doors, there is going to be a lot of light here.

Update on the tendering process

May 4, 2013 /

Having posted an entry stating that only 2 of the 5 companies that we sent tender documents to had arranged a site visit, a third company rang that morning.  The site visit was yesterday. So now 3 out of 5 have done a site visit. 

With the deadline for submission on Tuesday (7th May), it would seem unlikely that any more site visits are going to occur.  It will be interesting to see if we get quotes without the companies having done a site visit.  Still, we will know next week.

3D External views

May 3, 2013 /

Here are some of the exterior views of the outside of the proposed property. I have posted some of these images before, but they hadn’t been updated with the amended floor plans and  had been scanned from paper copies.

I am still really taken with this design and the more I look at it, the more there is to see.  This is the work of One17Design – I am seriously impressed.

I have some internal views too and will post these shortly as well.

Click on any of the images below to zoom in.

The existing cottages plus a porch at the front. The new extension to the left.

The existing cottages plus a porch at the front. The new extension to the left.

Showing the front door (under the porch) and the entrance to the boot room. To the right, you can see that the old porch has been removed and the door moved to access the office space at this end of the building.

Showing the front door (under the porch) and the entrance to the boot room. To the right, you can see that the old porch has been removed and the door moved to access the office space at this end of the building.

 

This shows the existing cottages on the left and the new extension directly in front of us.

This shows the existing cottages on the left and the new extension directly in front of us.

The existing cottages are on the left and the new extension with lounge and master bedroom are directly in front of us.

The existing cottages are on the left and the new extension with lounge and master bedroom are directly in front of us.

New extension to the left and the existing cottages to the right.

New extension to the left and the existing cottages to the right.

This shows the new extension to the rear of the property and the existing cottages behind.

This shows the new extension to the rear of the property and the existing cottages behind.

Polytunnel – Day 6

May 3, 2013 /

Just about done.  The excess plastic around the door frames has been trimmed.  The excess around the edges of the polytunnel will be buried in a trench around the polytunnel.  This will help ensure that the polytunnel isn’t going to go anywhere in strong winds.  We will probably put a row of patio slabs around the edge of the polytunnel to keep the grass at bay – we will not be able to use the strimmer up against the polytunnel.

I would have dug the trench today and  backfilled it, but the physio has told me to take it easy with my back.

The plastic covering the polytunnel has now been trimmed around the door frames. The plastic just needs to be tensioned and then the excess around the edges buried into a trench around the polytunnel.

The plastic covering the polytunnel has now been trimmed around the door frames. The plastic just needs to be tensioned and then the excess around the edges buried into a trench around the polytunnel.

Buried treasure

May 2, 2013 /

Well, not quite.  I found an old mobile phone while digging in the garden.  We have found lots of pottery and bits of china, but this is the first phone that we have found.

It didn’t look in good shape.  The battery had really deteriorated, so it was good to have it out of the ground.

When I took off the back of the phone, I was a bit surprised to find the SIM and a memory card still installed.  You can tell from the photo below that both were showing signs of having been in the ground.

I wondered if I would find anything on the memory card.  Or even if it could be read. 

Amazingly, it was a yes on both counts.

Looks like the phone was owned by a young boy who was into fishing, hip hop and air rifles.  Below is one of his most notable catches.

It is amazing what you find buried in the garden.

Having removed the back and the battery, imagine my surprise to find the SIM and the memory card still installed. There is no chance of getting anything off that memory card. Or is there?

Having removed the back and the battery, imagine my surprise to find the SIM and the memory card still installed. There is no chance of getting anything off that memory card. Or is there?

 

One of the images left on the memory card. All dated 2009. Goodness knows how long the phone had been in the ground.

One of the images left on the memory card. All dated 2009. Goodness knows how long the phone had been in the ground.

Polytunnel – Day 5

May 2, 2013 /

And I am almost there.  By the end of the day, the frame is covered and waiting to be tensioned.  I had to get some help unfolding the plastic before it went onto the frame.  I probably could have done it on my, but it is the sort of job that would take an hour on your own or 5 mins with two people.  I opted for  the two person approach and Rob North kindly lent a hand.

It is starting to look like a polytunnel now, particularly from the inside!

The next job is to tension the plastic and cut off the excess,  but that will have to wait until tomorrow.

I must admit that this is a two man job - unfolding the plastic and getting it over the hoops is much easy with two pairs of hands. Rob North kindly assisted.

I must admit that this is a two man job – unfolding the plastic and getting it over the hoops is much easy with two pairs of hands. Rob North kindly assisted.

It only took 5-10 minutes to unfold the plastic and get it onto the frame. Next job is to attached it to the wooden battens that run aroung the base of the frame making sure that it is tensioned correctly. Why do I think of Dougal from the Magic Roundabout?

It only took 5-10 minutes to unfold the plastic and get it onto the frame. Next job is to attached it to the wooden battens that run aroung the base of the frame making sure that it is tensioned correctly. Why do I think of Dougal from the Magic Roundabout?

The plastic is still to be tensioned and the excess material trimmed off around the door, but we are almost there!

The plastic is still to be tensioned and the excess material trimmed off around the door, but we are almost there!

Update on tender process

May 1, 2013 /

The deadline for the tender process for phase 1 is 7th May.  The tender documents were issued to 5 local companies.  They were told that they could do a site visit from the 29th April. 

So far there have been two site visits – both on 29th.  Maybe the other tenderers will leave it to the last minute or maybe there will submit a quote without having seen the property.  Or maybe they won’t submit a quote at all.  Who knows at this point.

I have been running the site visits and to make sure that I tell all the tenderers the same things, I have been following a sort of script (see below). 

One of the things that I have been doing is using the 3D drawings to show what the finished building will look like.  This material was not distributed as part of the tender pack and it is clearly given people a much clearer idea of what the finished building will look like rather than just relying on floor plans alone.  I now have the 3D drawings as PDFs and will post some more shortly.  I have only had them in paper copy until recently, but did post one here before on the blog based on a scan of a paper copy.

Anyway, here’s my script for the site visit:

·         About us

  • Me and Jo live in Netherthong
  • Me to PM the overall build
  • Technical questions to the architect

·         Objectives

  • Looking for something that suited the way we live
  • Traditional on the outside, contemporary inside

·         The site

  • Extent of the site
  • Potential new drive through orchard

·         Access

  • IBA require access at all times

·         Plan

  • Potential move in date is April 2014

·         Why two phases? Phase one / Phase Two

·         Overview of the design

  • Renovation of the existing properties – Phase 1               
  • New extension and refurb of existing – Phase 2

·         Tour of the existing buildings

  • 8
  • 10
  • Barn

·         Unusual things to point out

  • Cellars
  • King post trusses
  • Asphalt flooring

·         Questions

  • Potential start dates
  • Any issues/questions?

Polytunnel – Day 4

April 30, 2013 /

Well, again today, it was really only half a day on the polytunnel.  I had to go to the builders merchant this morning and I didn’t get started on the polytunnel until after lunch.

I decided to redo the first door frame that I had installed.  Looking back at it, it wasn’t completely vertical and you didn’t really notice until you should back and looked at it.  If I didn’t put it right, it would always annoy me in the future.  So with that sorted it was then a case of installing the supports for the internal trestle platform.  This has only been installed on one side since we are going to put raised beds for vegetables on the other side. 

Then it was time to start bolting the timber rail that runs around the bottom of the polytunnel and keeps the polyethene taught.  By the time that I had installed half of it, it was time to call it a day.  Tomorrow the weather forecast is good, so hopefully I will get the other side of the bottom timber rail done and will then cover the polytunnel with polyethene.

The door frames are vertical - honest!

The door frames are vertical – honest!

The timber rail is where the polythene is attached. This rail can be moved down the hoops in order to tension the cover.

The timber rail is where the polythene is attached. This rail can be moved down the hoops in order to tension the cover.

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