Up on the Roof

We’ve had a rain-soaked couple of days in the gardens at Betley Court. The ground is absolutely saturated, and we’re keeping an eye on the pond to make sure it doesn’t top the dam. Storms Dudley and Eunice are predicted to combine over the UK until the weekend. So, of course, this is the time we are looking to start the next phase of building work.

There’s a reason I mentioned the weather. Well, two. Firstly, not all Dead Gardeners Society readers are based in the UK. Between 15-20% of our readers are international, so I like to paint a picture of the seasons at Betley Court from time to time. And commenting on the weather is a national pastime anyway – what could be more British? Secondly, as if rebuilding Betley Court wasn’t challenging enough, let’s add some extreme weather to make things interesting!

Two of the smaller new steel beams to be installed over the main house

Another beam, awaiting installation

The next phase of work will entail removing some of the scaffold wrap, and reconfiguring scaffolding (thank you MD Scaffolding Ltd) so the enormous steel beams we’re installing can be lifted into the house. These beams replace massive oak beams that were destroyed in the fire. Once all of them are in place, our expert construction team MCL can look at reinstating the roof over the main house. It looks like a complex operation to me, just seeing all the concrete pads that will bear the new beams. Little fluorescent lazar stickers are dotted around the concrete pads, I guess to guide tonnes of steel into place. A crash deck of scaffolding planks now covers all of the main house working area over the second-floor level (roughly where the attic level used to be). It feels like everything is ready to go.

The crash deck, made from scaffold planks. This is a attic height

Another view of the crash decks. The fireplace in the chimney to the left was a fireplace in the attic space.

The first of the slates, arriving this week

It was exciting to see hefty palettes of slate arrive on site yesterday, and all around the house there are signs of gearing up for their installation.  A large yellow forklift, capable of elevating tonnes of Welsh blue slate and Vermont green slate rumbled onto the forecourt, and is poised and ready for action. According to Nigel, work has started on fitting wooden laths across the large expanse of the ‘factory’ roof (the former servants wing), so it won’t be too long before the roofers start hanging tiles there. It seemed an almost impossible dream two years ago, so it is really heartening to be at this point.

The forklift for lifting slates up.

In last week’s post I mentioned that Anastasia Fenton had commissioned some of the biggest changes to the roofline of Betley Court in 1785, following her return to live at Betley Court after the deaths of her husband and two children. Some 237 years later, that roofline is being recreated,
and at least from the outside will look as new as when her builders finished it. I wonder what she’d make of all the goings on at Betley Court, if she were still here!

All best wishes

Ladybird Su