Poundstock Gildhouse

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RESTORATION

After many months of fundraising, planning and surveys the restoration work finally started in May. The company doing the work are called Carrek Ltd, a firm of building conservators from Wells, Somerset, their foreman in charge of the works comes from Launceston and started his career at nearby Trebarfoot Manor so was pleased to return to this area to work on such an historic building. The first signs of the builders presence being the large fence all around the site to conform with current health and safety regulations.

		Then boarding was erected to preserve structures in the Gildhouse and also to cover some gravestones in the churchyard in order to protect them.	The Coat of arms in the upper room being boarded over.

	Once the work had begun the extent of the decay becomes more visible with rotten timbers and crumbling walls being exposed.

	Windows have been carefully removed		And floor joists exposed...

These pieces of wood from the stable door frame are in fact old gateposts, - recycling from another era.		The fireplace in the feasting hall was opened up to reveal a cloam oven

		The lintel from the door to the old stable was found to be quite rotten so had to be taken out and the affected wood removed, then a replacement piece has been cut from a large piece of timber and grafted on to the original piece.


The upstairs room with the partition removed, here showing holes where ceiling joists would have been, will become the kitchen and disabled toilet.		The coffin rest has been moved to one side to allow wheelchair access, and the wall of the lych gate has been stripped of ivy and repointed.

Roofing and rendering		Newly made cob in place in the wall

Sedimentation tests were done on soil samples to find the best materials to match the original cob. Soil is mixed with straw and then water is added.
The cob is mixed by hand and then with a tractor before being used for building