Monday 28th October 2019 was a very special day. A team of community volunteers made a start clearing the ground inside and around the cottage in preparation for the builders scaffolding.
Of course, ground clearing around the cottage has been happening at various times over the last 3 years. But, this is the first time that work has been done inside the ruin.
Over 20 tons of debris has accumulated on the ground floor and it all has to be sifted, sorted and removed before the restoration can begin. Its a mixed layer layer (up to 3 feet thick) of soil, fallen masonry, branches, beams and even a couple of old bed frames.
Local award-winning photographer (and member of the Friends of Aqueduct Cottage), Ashley Frankin, popped down to witness the volunteers starting to clear the debris . It was a gorgeous autumn day and Ashley’s beautiful photographs captured the occasion perfectly.
It was an exciting moment to get the first glimpse of the red and black floor tiles in the kitchen, and later, what appears to be an original flagstone under a thin layer of leveling cement. We can’t wait to find out if more of these are revealed as the clearance work continues.
Our fabulous volunteers had a great first day, and everyone enjoyed getting stuck in. For sure, there’s a long way to go, but it promises to be a really exciting restoration project.