The Barn is Finished

PFG has now completed the barn and all the tractors, horsebox and JCB are safely installed inside. The weather has been dry and cold recently which has meant that work outside the barn has started. Two new manholes for the water off the roof and the yard have been built and we are just waiting for the piles of earth to dry out a bit more before the Exmoor bank can be built and the driveway infront of the barn can be completed. A bit more tidying up to be done yet before the top surface on the road can be laid, but we are getting there!

The Barn goes up

PFG Fabrication have started putting up the barn despite the wet and windy weather. They had to pump out water from the holes that had been dug for the steel uprights before they could start. The roof is now complete and the guttering has been added. The sides which will be wooden boarding will take longer to put on and once that is completed a concrete floor will be laid.

All the tractors and other equipment are currently outside getting very wet and hopefully we will soon be able to get them all inside.

Another New Roof!

The new slate roof on the Animal Annex is now complete and because it looks so good we have decided to replace the roof on the Pigmy goat house and the future duck house.
Work has started on stripping off the old roof and replacing the timbers before we can re-slate.
In the centre of the photo is Derek's black cat DC who is helping supervise the work.

Animal Annex New Roof

We have started reburbishing the old kennels which will be our 'Animal Annex' to go with the holiday cottage. Derek and Rob are renewing the slates on the back of the roof and then we will start on altering the inside.
There will be a wash down tiled area for dogs that are muddy when they come back from their walks and lots of towels for a rub down. There will also be a big 'Tuffie' dog bed for them to lie on while they dry. We will be having some guinea pig/rabbit and hamster cages, so guests can also bring these pets on holiday.

The Pond

Derek has now started work on creating a pond. The stream runs through the courtyard in Burrow Farm and then through a wall and along the bottom of Derek's garden. It has been overgrown with marsh marigolds and iris as well as a lot of silt on the bottom. Derek has created a small dam at one end so that he can catch the water from the stream.
Alongside the pond he intends to create a vegetable patch after he has levelled out the ground. In the background you can see Derek and Rob working on the new post and rail fence.

Clearing the compost heap

Derek has started clearing the huge compost heap behind the old kennels with his JCB and removing elder trees and general rubbish to open up a big area which goes down to the stream. About 20 old tyres have been dug up and these are going to be difficult to get rid of as no one wants them and its hard to find a refuse tip that will take them. The compost is being loaded into a trailer and taken by tractor to one of the fields where we will be restoring an old exmoor bank. The bank has fallen into disrepair and has an overgrown hedge on top with a few dead trees. We will be planting the two copper beech tree saplings from Ranmore Common onto the bank with the new hedge. The saplings have been sent to us from friends, Helen and Frederick who live on Ranmore Common.

The Dovecote

The new dovecote has arrived from Lincolnshire Dovecotes. We just hope that the two remaining white doves will set up home, originally there were five but three have been killed by birds of prey. Their original dovecote was taken by the previous owners when they moved, so the doves have been roosting on the roof of the stables. I have been feeding them wild bird seed every morning to keep them at Burrow Farm.