The concrete base and retaining walls are now finished in the sunken garden.  The blockwork will have a dry stone wall at the front.  We have bought some reclaimed stone for this purpose.  It is already coursed out – bags of 6 inch high stones and bags of 3 inch stones.  This allows us to break up the courses when building a wall – we will put in some 6 inch stones at random.  I built a small amount of test wall to make sure that it looks ok.  It is difficult to tell from such a small section, but I am sure it will look fine.

The dry stone wall will be back bedded – a small amount of mortar is used on the back of each stone to hold them in position.  Using mortar also allows us to cement in the metal (stainless steel) ties that have been left protruding from the retaining wall.

There are going to be 2 terraces in the courtyard garden. The white bags to picture right are full of reclaimed stone for the dry stone wall that will stand in front of the blockwork.

There are going to be 2 terraces in the courtyard garden. The white bags to picture right are full of reclaimed stone for the dry stone wall that will stand in front of the blockwork.

The dry stone walling stone has arrived. It has come in around 10 one tonne bags. These are easily lifted into position with the telehandler.

The dry stone walling stone has arrived. It has come in around 10 one tonne bags. These are easily lifted into position with the telehandler.

The soakaway is actaully a 15ft deep hole filled with clean rubble at the base. The rubble is covered with Visqueen (plastic) that stops fine dirt and earth from washing in and blocking up the drain.

The soakaway is actaully a 15ft deep hole filled with clean rubble at the base. The rubble is covered with Visqueen (plastic) that stops fine dirt and earth from washing in and blocking up the drain.

The land drain is installed behind the wall at the base. If any water gets caught behind the wall, it drains into the pipe and is then diverted into a soakaway. This stops water building up behind the wall and pushing it over (potentially).

The land drain is installed behind the wall at the base. If any water gets caught behind the wall, it drains into the pipe and is then diverted into a soakaway. This stops water building up behind the wall and pushing it over (potentially).

Close up of the land drain that is inserted behind the retaining wall. Any water that gathers behind the retaining wall will seem into this pipe and is then directed away from the house. The pipe eventually feeds into a soakaway - a large hole filled with rubble and then covered back over.

Close up of the land drain that is inserted behind the retaining wall. Any water that gathers behind the retaining wall will seem into this pipe and is then directed away from the house. The pipe eventually feeds into a soakaway – a large hole filled with rubble and then covered back over.

The blockwork retaining wall will have a dry stone wall at the front. The stone will be back bedded and tied into the retaining wall using stainless steel ties. This photo shows what the dry stone wall might look like. We are using local reclaimed stone.

The blockwork retaining wall will have a dry stone wall at the front. The stone will be back bedded and tied into the retaining wall using stainless steel ties. This photo shows what the dry stone wall might look like. We are using local reclaimed stone.