We have set up a new shingle making camp at Ridden Corner this week.
This weeks volunteer group have been doing stirling work there the past couple of days knocking out some very nice shingles. They are making use of some of the bigger ofcuts of timber from the coppiced chestnut we are currently busy extracting to trackside.
The new shave horses seem to be performing well too. Last I heard we were up to about 3000 or so, still lets more needed, but we are going well. If you are coming to help this year on the project I guess some of your time at least will be spent in one of the two shingling camps.
In the forground here you can see our shingle camp stove, I made it out of an old washing machine drum. I can’t claim the idea as my own, I saw one that a friend had made and copied it. They work really well, the small holes let in a good supply of air to feed the fire and help boil your kettle quickly. It looks particularly pretty if you see it lit after dark as the light from the fire flickers through all of the little holes.
The new camp seems to be well placed to gather the afternoon sun, it was actually getting warm up there at lunchtime today. Spring is definitely moving in the woods around here this week. As if to prove it as I was having lunch the first butterly I have seen this year fluttered past, it was a Brimstone, a beautifull bright yellow butterfly, in my mind they are always a precursor of lots of nice spring sunshine.
