Month: September 2011

I've been giving some thought to the mooted change in planning policy that threatens a relaxation of planning laws in relation to building on green field sites. I posted a couple of weeks ago about the National Trust petition opposing the new planning policy framework and looking for more information came across the Daily Telegraph's Hands Off Our Land campaign which provides a useful summary & a news feed for anyone with an interest. Planning is never an easy or comfortable subject to discuss. I have interests on both sides of this debate but I have to support the 'hands-off'…

This is a compact and tidy little book with a plethora of information in both pictures and text. If you have an interest in vernacular architecture then you'll find plenty here to while away an hour or two... ...but my feelings toward this book are ambivalent... The artistic diagrams are pleasing on the eye, the text well written and informative, but at times I just cannot agree with Matthew Rice and his opinions. In an enlightened age, a constructive attitude to the conservation of villages should encompass responsible expansion with harmonious new building and a sensitive and well-informed approach to…

The mediocre weather has allowed the outdoor work to continue... ...I cut the new lawn again, there are some really tricky patches that need the strimmer or a mountain goat to keep short. ...I cut a narrow channel along the wall side of the concrete gas bottle platform. I had some concern that the platform was above the internal floor level, so the channel, backfilled with 40mm stone should sort that out. Internally there's never been any damp and so I'm cautious not to create any. From Barn Conversion 2011 The juliet balcony I ordered - made locally by British…

After my post about lots of befores made up of pictures of locations before I started work on them here's another after... The kitchen step BEFORE (during really) From Barn Conversion 2011 AFTER From Barn Conversion 2011 The step is an original from the farm that the barn is on that I bought from a neighbour. The after picture gives a clear view of the stonework of the barn, the amount of care, craftsmanship and attention that went into building the wall, layering the masonry and grouping together similar pieces of stone. Beautiful!

Following on from my post about lots of befores that comprised of pictures of locations before I started work on them I've been getting on to some afters, here are some more... Land drains around the unpaved parts of the barn BEFORE From Barn Conversion 2011 From Barn Conversion 2011 From Barn Conversion 2011 From Barn Conversion 2011 AFTER From Barn Conversion 2011 From Barn Conversion 2011 From Barn Conversion 2011 From Barn Conversion 2011 Shovelling all that 40mm clean stone nearly killed me, but that's another story...

There's an amount of irony to the statement from Vince Cable in yesterdays Telegraph, that people who object to government plans to make building in the countryside easier are “semi-hysterical”. This is after all the same Vince Cable who has reportedly made such statements as “I have declared war on Rupert Murdoch and I believe we’re going to win”. The National Trust certainly doesn't agree with Mr Cables sentiment, having launched a petition asking for a very sensible balance to be struck between development, heritage and protection of our green places. The petition asks respondents to agree with the statement:…