Old House Project - Rammed Earth and more

During the late spring and early summer, work at the Old House Project (OHP) moved forward steadily - but gently - in the hands of the very capable craftspeople at Owlsworth IJP. Stonemason Jim Roberts continued masonry repairs and carpenter Callum McCaffrey applied his skills to window joinery. Volunteer Mark Murthwaite-Price oversaw the burning of local grey chalk in our field kiln to produce quicklime for mortar. As July approached, Mark upped his output significantly to stockpile lime for our Boxley Abbey Working Party week. During this week, with scores of specialists and participants on site, the pace of work at the OHP suddenly changed and the project went into overdrive.

In a mere week of activity by so many, the site took a great leap forward and the project’s end is now becoming a reality. Specialist Rob Croudace assisted with reglazing and enthused many participants with the skills he displayed. Lime and earth plasters were repaired with the help of specialist Michael O’Reilly. Expert James Ayres of Lime Green produced sample panels of woodfibre board insulation, which will greatly improve the building’s energy performance. Project architect Mal Fryer even donned a dust mask, goggles and high vis to push forward the practical work.

Rammed Earth Wall

The biggest change to the site occurred with the construction of a new three-metre-high wall of rammed earth. The wall, built under the supervision of expert Rowland Keeble, used carefully prepared subsoil from the site. This was rammed into place within shuttering. The wall will support a covered walkway with solar panels above, but it also offers a sustainable solution to the problems created by the nearby motorway. Behind the wall is an area of garden that will be acoustically buffered from motorway noise.

The OHP’s story is gradually coming into focus but new discoveries and surprises continue to emerge. Under consultant archaeologist Graham Keevill’s supervision, some further evidence emerged that the site was once a western gatehouse to neighbouring Boxley Abbey. Most attention-grabbing was the unexpected discovery of a mass dial. These simple sundials, scribed into masonry, are believed to have indicated the points in the day when religious rites took place, before mechanical timekeeping was common.

A welcome participant at the Working Party was social media star Alice Loxton - History Alice - whose Instagram story about the OHP work was sent out to her 1.1 million followers.

First published in SPAB members-only magazine. Become a member to see the latest SPAB Magazine and get access to digital back issues.