Good to see some changes

Snowdrop in Betley Court Gardens. c. Su Hurrell 2020

Its been a very exciting week at Betley Court Gardens and some big changes are afoot. Earlier in the week, the company we’ve ordered the visitors’ hub building from sent a team over to install the foundations. Traditionally, this would have involved digging a big square, and filling it with a pad of concrete, then sitting the building on it. There would’ve been a huge amount of disruption, with earth being removed, and tonnes of concrete arriving onsite. As we are in a conservation area, the local authority’s planning department took a keen interest in our new building’s impact on the surrounding trees, and their root systems during the planning application. After a lot of research, Nigel found a company that used a low impact foundation system for their buildings, and this week, we saw exactly how that worked.

Screws laid out in a grid, waiting to be screwed in. c. Su Hurrell 2020

Tree surgeons had already been onsite to clear the area, and its amazing how much bigger it looks, once the trees were dropped. Paul, our digger man, and Shane cleared and levelled up before the building team arrived.

Operating the driver. c. Su Hurrell 2020

The guys unloaded what looked like enormous posi-drive screws – you can see how big they are in the pictures. They then set up a portable generator which they used to power a couple of drivers, and literally screwed them into the soil. The guys commented that because the gardens lie on sandy soil, it was pretty much perfect conditions to work with. As each screw goes in, a lazar registers the level, and automatically stops the driver once the screw is in line with its neighbour. Each screw took about 4-5 minutes to install. Phenomenally fast!

The foundation grid taking shape. c. Su Hurrell 2020

By mid-afternoon, all the screws were in place, brackets were attached and a wooden base-frame had begun to take shape. Yesterday, the base-frame was completed and gave us the first glimpse of the kind of footprint the visitors’ hub will occupy.

Wooden frame in position. c. Su Hurrell 2020

As the pictures show, the base hoovers above the ground, keeping the wood off the soil, which means it won’t be as prone to rotting. Later we will bed the building into the landscape using plants, but that is a way off yet. The next stage is to get the floor down, and the wall and roof panels up.

Wooden frame, waiting for the floor to be installed. c. Su Hurrell 2020

Paul and Shane have also done a huge amount of work to restore the garage forecourt. This will become our parking area when the gardens are open to the public. It’s made a tremendous difference. The gravel area had been dug up to allow us to put in services; water, electricity and sewage. It looked terrible, up until yesterday, and it was hard to imagine us ever getting it back in order. So, the lads have done a brilliant job.

The garage forecourt. This will be parking when the gardens open. c. Su Hurrell 2020

Shane also had a corking idea on what to do with the stumps of the large trees that have been pulled like molars, to make way for the visitors’ hub. They’ve been moved to a nearby shady spot, creating a stumpery.

The fledgling stumpery. c. Su Hurrell 2020

This is a kind of garden feature where dead wood, typically stumps and logs (but sometimes worked wood like railway sleepers) is arranged artistically, and then planted up with ferns and mosses. Stumperies are fantastic habitats for all sorts of wildlife, and will be an important contribution to our ‘dead wood’ habitats. By coincidence, the first ever stumpery was built at Biddulph Grange, just 16 miles away from Betley Court Gardens, and they were very fashionable in the Victorian era! If its good enough for Bidulph Grange, then its good enough for Betley Court.

The survey team at work. c. Su Hurrell 2020

Over at the house, a team of surveyors lead by Steve, has been busy, making a detailed lazar survey of the buildings. The lazars collect millions of data points, that can be used to create computer models of the building as it stands now. The team will send in drones to collect data from the upper storeys, as access has been somewhat curtailed by the lack of stairs and floors, not to mention the safety issues!  The data, and the models produced will become useful when we start working with the local authority and Historic England on how exactly to restore Betley Court after the fire.

Surveying equipment

As the snowdrops begin to emerge, and the start of a new gardening year begins, we’re all witnessing a lot of changes. It is good to see most of them are changes for the better - here's to a Spring full of promise!

All best wishes
Ladybird Su

Yet more skips (up to twelve now?)