Images of the hall’s smart new thatched roof – good for at least 20 years.

Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Devon (Mr David Fursdon) opened the Parish Hall after the first phase of the Conserve and Improve refurbishments.

Thatched roofs need rethatching typically every 20-25 years when they are created using wheat straw which is authentic for the Devon area where reed straw is not readily available.

On Sunday 18th October 2015 some members of the Heritage project group investigated the parish hall floor now exposed after removing the wooden floor and joists . With only one day available before the builders started their work the group took on the role of keen amateur archaeologists to gather as much information as possible about the floor before it was sealed by a layer of concrete.

The investigation team included:

• Steve Baber
• Martin Bond
• Miya Bond
• Liz Guppy
• Sandy Haughton

The team initially made a general search of the floor looking for objects and studied the exposed areas of the walls to get a feel for their construction.

After collecting various loose objects the team swept dust and rubble from the southern end of the hall to expose what was thought to be the original floor.

They wrote up their finds on the Report on the Parish Hall Floor Investigation page.

 

Sub contractors ( Asbestos Management Services & Removals (AMS) of Barnstaple). working in protective suits to remove asbestos which was believed to be have been used under the sage.

 

Returning on Tuesday 13 October and again on Thursday 15 October volunteers helped lift the hall sub-floor and store the bricks and joists for re-use where possible.

Many thanks to (from left): Bob Illman Paul Tanner Phillip Brown Alistair McArthur Steve Baber Brian Percival Ron Moore Jonny Harford

Not shown in photo: Richard Boxall Lindsay Harford Phillip Risden

For safety reasons access to the hall on Wednesday was not allowed during the removal of any potential asbestos material was undertaken by Asbestos Management Services & Removals (AMS) of Barnstaple.

Joists have been stored on Phillip Brown’s farm, and the bircks on West Yeo farm, until they can be re-used.

 

By Thursday afternoon the hall was cleared ready for the builders to start work the following Monday.

Photographs of the work

More photos on our Picassa web site for Tuesday,  Wednesday (asbestos) and  Thursday.

By lunchtime on Monday 12 October, 2015 after the hall had been cleared community volunteers started the on lifting the flooring in the main hall and store room, and removing the stage.

Many thanks to (left to right): Bob Illman Alistair McArthur Philip Brown Martin Bond Brian Edwards Jonny Harford Ron Moore Steve Baber (behind the camera) Campie Hurst-Bannister (tea and choclate cake)

The first boards were lifted at the south end of the hall. Although a board was lifted by the stage at the same time the team agreed that working from one end of the hall would be more sensible and safer.

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The team started lifting boards at the south end of the hall. The boards were nailed down and typically the nails stayed in the supporting joists and the boards pulled off the nails. Many boards split or broke as they were lifted and the ones in the south west corner showed extensive signs of rot where the boards abutted the walls.

As the boards are to be retained and sold on any nails left in the boards were removed before they went into storage in Campie and Barnabus’ barn.

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Meanwhile a small crew started in the store room and removed the shelving from the north wall where the heating boiler and underfloor distribution manifold will be positioned. The floor boards in the store room were lifted ready for the builders to lay in the heating pipework. The floor boards were kept in the room and will be relaid once the heating has been comissioned.

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An hour and a half into the work and the discussion over a tea break decides progress is slow but steady.

After the tea break and with work finished in the store room, the progress in the main hall picked up as the volunteers worked out the best techniques for lifting boards.

There was some concern that packing under the stage may have been asbestos sheeting so a portable water sprayer was used to damp down any dust.

Over a second tea break with chocolate cake the team decided they could finish the floor boards within a couple of hours and decided to keep working to clear the hall that day. They would leave the joists and stub walls for the next day. Work had started around 1:00PM and finished about 6:30PM.

Photographs of the work

 

 

On Monday 12 October, 2015 a small group of community volunteers met at the hall around 9:30 and started to move the various items out of the store room and the main hall. 

Many thanks to (clockwise left to right): Jonny Harford Bob Illman Brian Edwards Martin Bond Ron Moore Brian Percival (kneeling) Steve Baber (behind the camera)

With help from: Campie Hurst-Bannister (tea and moral support) Sandy Haughton (moving tapestries)

Most the hall equipment was stored in Campie’s Barn, and East Worlington Primary School found a home for the temporary stage and school activity items.

Special thanks to Bob for the use of his large flatbed trolley which made moving items a lot less strenuous than if the team had had to carry everything.

The tapestry wall hangings were carefully taken from the wall and, courtesy of Jean Smyth, taken round to Town Barton Farm and placed on a bed each for the duration of the building works. They will have a quick wash and brush up to get them ready for returning to the hall in the new year.

Images from clearing the hall