Freedom Farm Stud

View from the Drive

2009-11-30T09:28:00.002Z

This photo shows the view of the new building from the drive, as you approach the stud.

Sun Pipes

2009-11-30T09:20:00.004Z

The photo shows the sun pipes, which bring the light into the centre of the building.

Lighting the New Building

2009-11-25T11:26:00.006Z

I didn't want the building to be lit up too brightly. This picture shows how it is lit by discrete LED ropelights under the eaves.

The light is soft and subtle and only uses a few watts. It's also angled downwards so that there is no light pollution.

Inside we've used high-energy fluorescent lights that give thirty percent more light and a 20,000 hour life.

The Clock is now Set

2009-11-13T18:04:00.003Z

The clock now shows the right time.

Almost Complete

2009-11-10T13:38:00.005Z

The outside of the building is now almost complete. The roof is on and it is starting to look finished. Inside it's a bit different though.

The next two pictures show the building avoiding the skip and the electrician's Land-Rover.

Slating the Roof

2009-11-06T11:00:00.000Z

This is obviously not the roof of the new building, but the roof of my office.

It was done by the same company, Knappett, and the same man. He was rather proud of the job he did nearly twenty years ago, when he roofed the office. He has every right to be so.

Note that the office roof has no guttering. The water flows into a moat that surrounds the office.

The slates were actually Spanish. I'm not sure why, but the roofers say that they are better and cheaper than any Welsh equivalent. I would have preferred Welsh.

This picture shows the lead being fixed to make sure that the roof is water-tight. Seeing the roofer cut and bend it, he would probably be using the same tools and methods that stretched back two or three thousand years at least.

Lead may be a metal that is slightly poisonous, but we've never really found anything better.

Here, the slates are all placed ready to be fixed by the clock.

This is a general view of the almost complete roof.

The roof is now complete.

The slate roof matches the house. Except that the house roof is nearly two hundred years old.

View from the Other Side of the Road

2009-10-31T15:50:00.008Z

This picture shows the stud from the other side of the road.

The new and uncompleted buildings are at the top of the drive, with the house to the left behind the trees.

There is a stream in front by the trees, which flows to the left (i.e. west) to join the River Stour.

This picture shows the stud from a different angle.

I suspect that when I took this picture I was almost exactly due south of the new buildings of the stud.

A Fairy Ring

2009-10-31T12:17:00.003Z

I photographed this "fairy ring" on the stud this morning. Note how it is centred on an oak tree.

Inside the New Building

2009-10-31T12:03:00.005Z

This is a couple of views inside the new building, before the slates go on the roof, starting on Monday.

In the second view, the front of the building is to the left.

Weatherproof!

2009-10-28T16:31:00.005Z

Bob Knappett and his gang of roofers started at about nine o'clock this morning and within a few minutes there was a lot of progress.

By four o'oclock in the afternoon the building was completely weatherproof. Another very good days work!

Note that the weather was so good today, that at one point the roofers had their shirts off! And it's late October.

The Clock Close Up

2009-10-28T11:09:00.003Z

This picture shows a close-up of the clock.

This picture was taken from the scaffolding that is being used to put up the felt and tiles for the roof.

On Goes the Clock

2009-10-23T17:16:00.004+01:00

Progress has been swift this week, and considering they only started on Tuesday, to have the clock up by Friday is very good.

The clock has not been set to the correct time yet!

On Go the Roof Trusses

2009-10-22T14:12:00.004+01:00

The roof trusses actually arrived on the Wednesday in pouring rain.

As you don't work at heights in the rain unless you have to, the roof only started in earnest on the Thursday in the sunshine.

The next two pictures show the structure of the roof from the inside.

They are now preparing to put the facia and soffits up.

All in a Day's Work

2009-10-20T15:16:00.009+01:00

The men from Scotts of Thrapston arrived before nine, with the walls of the building on two small trucks.

The unloading was by means of man power. This was probably best, even if some pieces were heavy.

What puzzled me, was that they appeared to layout the building on the ground without any reference to any drawings. I assume it was because everything was properly marked. Very professional!

The walls started to rise after lunch, after fitting the damp course and other small but essential works.

It was then swift process throughout what was a very cold and blowly afternoon.

By three o'clock everything was ready for the last piece of the walls.

And here it goes.

It fits well too!

The last two pictures show complete views of the building.

Obviously, we need a roof. The trusses will be delivered tomorrow.

Drainage Pipes

2009-10-16T09:18:00.003+01:00

This picture is only here to show where the drainage pipes are, in case someone needs to know, when I'm long gone.

The landscaping of the site has started too.

Complete Slab

2009-10-14T09:10:00.001+01:00

The slab is now complete.

Note the store in front, which will have a raised floor.

Almost Ready for the Pour

2009-10-03T20:16:00.005+01:00

These two images show the state of this Saturday.

The slab is almost ready for pouring. It would appear that they are on time for I think Wednesday all being well.

Interestingly, the builders, Durman Stearn, put in a Saturday morning to make sure they hit their targets.

Not the First Building

2009-09-29T20:34:00.001+01:00

When you excavate anywhere near an old house, you tend to find foundations of older buildings.

These pictures show the remains of a probable early nineteenth century building, that had been demolished to make way for the eyesore.

Starting the Slab

2009-09-25T09:18:00.003+01:00

The ground is now being prepared for the concrete slab, that will support the new building.

Berries Everywhere

2009-09-25T09:12:00.005+01:00

It's been a marvellous year for all sorts of berries. These are Prunus spinosa, or more commonly blackthorn or sloe.

Almost Gone

2009-09-19T12:44:00.005+01:00

The efficiency with which the building came down, surprised me.

I suspect, that tools and equipment, now available to builders make it much easier to do these jobs. But it still doesn't take away much from the job that was done.

The little stump is the electricity supply. I suspect that the building would cost a lot more, if we'd had to disconnect it.

Coming Down

2009-09-15T08:43:00.002+01:00

The building has now started to come down.

I don't think anypone will be sad.

A Mobile Phone Problem

2009-09-08T19:29:00.003+01:00

On the stud, the new offices are so insulated that they keep mobile phone signals out, much to everyones annoyance. So I bought a system from Cell Antenna, that puts an aerial outside and an aerial inside with an amplifier between.

The image shows the outside aerial which is pointed at the nearest mobile phone mast.

The inside aerial is fairly small and discrete.

But the system works very well and was easily installed.

An Eyesore?

2009-09-06T08:17:00.000+01:00

I'm posting these pictures because they show the less than beautiful side of the stud.

They are scheduled for demolition and replacement.

Yearling Preparation.

2009-08-24T11:21:00.004+01:00

Staff at the stud are busy preparing the yearlings going to the sales. Up until now the yearlings have enjoyed a relatively lazy time grazing out in the paddocks. At the beginning of August life changes quite dramatically for the young horses. Now stabled overnight, the yearlings spend time on the horse walker building up their fitness. Daily in hand exercise around the manege teaches them to accept a bridle and prepares them for leading up at the sales. Of course every youngster needs down time and ours enjoy daily turnout to unwind.