Swan Barn farm team are at it again.
This year the NT Blackdown countryside team have plans to build another roundwood timber structure, an Orchard house at Swan Barn Farm.
They’re busy sourcing and preparing timber for the construction phase, due to start this summer.
It was just over 3 years ago the Uppark House and Garden team lent a hand and spent a day helping them out with making some shingles for the roof of the Speckled Wood house project which was completed in July 2012.
Swan Barn farm – Speckled Wood House and Hunter base camp
On Friday the Uppark team returned to help out once again, this time, making shingles for the Orchard house roof.
Strangely it was a dull drizzly day similar to our previous visit back in 2011 but we did not let that dampen our enthusiasm.
Before we started shingle making we had a cup of tea while Spike, (NT Blackdown, Warden), showed us the plans for the new Orchard house and followed that with a tour of the previous completed building – Speckled Wood house. Afterwards Spike gathered up the tools and we proceeded into the woodland where the shingle making facility was set up.
Top row : Making blanks, middle row: Spike’s demonstration and bottom row: The team get to see the completed Speckled wood building and make a new friend.
Following some instruction and a demonstration from Spike on the shingle making process we got stuck in to the job in hand, some of us preparing blanks and others making the Shingles.
Uppark Shingle makers hard at work.
Progress was slow at first but with Spike’s guidance the Shingle production got into full flow. The worksite had an unusual sound with the silent concentration broken by the clacking and scraping of the shingle making drowned out by the rain pouring down on the makeshift shelter.
Susie, Judy and Jenny concentrating on the Shingle making.
About 7000 shingles are required for the Orchard house roof and we finished the day with a total of 70 new shingles made thus making a small (1%) but needed contribution to the target. Despite the rain everyone felt that they had an interesting and satisfying day.
Here are some of the Shingles completed and ready for laying on the Orchard House roof.
If you would like to know more about Shingle making look here for guidance from the experts. swanbarnfarm a-guide-to-shingle-making
Uppark Garden 