LB8a Makes Its Debut

I decided on Sunday that I would brave the gusty winds as the sun was shining and it seemed a little wimpy to not be out there working.

I donned a woolly had to keep my hair under control and made a start on LB8. Penny's suggestion of using a rake to gather the surface crap was excellent. However, I can now see a load more weeds breaking through including some ground elder so another chemical warfare attack will be required. But that needs to wait for a non-windy dry day.

I then got digging again on the next bit along the wall. I was more organised this time - bucket at the ready to collect the stones. I must have filled and emptied it about ten times in progressing just over another metre. I also dug up quite a large section of a clay pipe buried underfoot...

Yesterday really was too windy and we had a couple of hail-stone deluges. I satisfied myself with browsing plant nurseries on the web, planning ahead.

Today the wind has dropped but it is toooo cold. However, I decided I really ought to measure the new bank sections to get a more accurate idea of how big it is.

So, armed with tape measure and rope I set to it. Fix rope at top with a stone at each designated section start/end and throw it down to the road. Tie a knot in rope where it reaches the road. Measure each section width along the wall. Measure each knot in the rope.

Total area is approximately 83.75 square metres. Total width is 21.42 metres and it tapers from 5.27 metres at the house end down to 2.28 metres at the gate end. It would be good to do this for the current LB sometime...obstacles permitting.

So from thinking I had almost finished the ground work/preparation I now find that I am probably only just over half way there what with the path along the wall and LB8 weighing in at a massive 31.84 square metres :(

I hadn't allowed for the extra two metres width from the existing bank to the start of the new wall - that area alone is over 10 square metres and is now LB8a  - don't want an LB13! 

Each section gets progressively smaller as the distance/slope to the road diminishes: LB9 = 17.6, LB10 = 13.4, LB11 = 11.5 and LB12 a mere 9.3.