We’ve had to spend considerable effort repairing and reinforcing the original stone walls. The internal wall was beyond repair and as it had to support part of the roof, it was decided that it would be better to rebuild it on a solid footing. The previously solid stone wall would go back up with blocks on one side and stone faced on the other (the future dining room side).

The original floor had to be carefully dug out and concrete poured in to provide some strength around the base of the walls. We’ve had to build new block walls inside the old ones. We’ll put insulation in the cavities and tie the two skins together with metal rods. The new blockwork will provide all the structural support because the old walls are not strong enough.

The new internal wall has to carry a large steel joist (5m) that will form the gallery landing over the dining room.