Completed update pictures

At long last we have some final pictures. As always seems the case it took longer to finish than planned, but probably to be expected when working with an existing building, especially one with this heritage.
First photos are general ones showing finished rooms with some details;

Living room with a new Dunsley MF stove 

Living room with south facing window

New kitchen, cream T&G effect doors to have clean modern style to show difference between original features and modern services.

Kitchen spaces left for tenants own cooker, fridge, washing machine (or dishwasher)

Re-cycled cupbaord doors to protect the unique bed cupboard

View of bed cupboard

Utility room with boiler and space for washing machine

Utility room original flagged floor with new lime pointing to re-fresh

Utility room with new internal oak window to bed cupbaord to allow ventilation

Dining room

1704 spice cupbaord door in dining room

Inside view of 1704 spice cupboard, note remains of old window frame

Another spice cupboard

Inside cupbaord, note these two spice cupboards have been left untouched to allow the original finishes to be viewed, there is some original wallpaper and paint in each one.

Old panelled wall to dining room, cleaned up and waxed, no other treatment to maintain original features. 

Under stair cupboard, see old window openings

South and east elevations looking good

New path formed to allow route to garden

This elevation had new lime render applied and lime washed

Main bedroom, slate hearth was broken and was replaced with a new peice to fit back in

New bathroom formed with all new services, SVP and extract vent outlets are hidden in rear roof due to listed status.

The floor boards were kept and waxed

2nd bedroom which had the floor lifted and some lime repair to chimney breast

Bed 4 with original timber partition and some floor repairs

En-suite shower to bed 4

The other view of the en-suite panelled wall

Lime plastering update

During May 2016 works were progressing well with most first fix services installed and now lime plastering getting underway. We had obtained pre-haired lime plaster in bulk bags from Mike Wye to save mixing time and for consistency. See pictures below to highlight the areas. 
Note that the walls near chimneys or where damp penetration issues were present we were trying the 'Bull shit' mix for lime plaster, i.e. mixing cow muck (Bull muck preferred to reduce urine content) and mix with the base lime to counter the effects of salts and tars from within walls, hence some of the pictures show darker lime than original lighter colour. 

Main bedroom gable wall lime plaster removed, note damp issue from chimney 

First scratch coat and cow dung mix is darker shade

Second coat being applied

Ground floor 'dining room' old fireplace stripped off

Note local Furness brick company products 

First scratch coat applied

'Cow muck' mix applied to inner stove reveal

Bedroom #2 chimney stripped

Scratch coat applied, 'cow muck mix'

Top coat applied (ceiling still to do)

Bulk bags of lime plaster

Top coat lime and lime wash

Mike Wye traditional haired lime

Another hidden wall cupboard revealed...or old fire window

During the lime plaster repairs we came across a previously hidden wall cupboard, this is in the ground floor living room and also in the external wall adjacent to the window and next to the mahogany cupboard, so possibly a fire window. 

Opening exposed when plaster removed, slate was covering the hole.

Possible fire window, albeit there are bricks to the left hand side

The window opening will obviously be kept, we will insulate the space and block up and plaster in lime.

Whilst we were digging drain runs....

...we found a hole, the digger driver, Keith, had to remove a large stone along the pipe route and found a hole full of water. He used a 4m scaffold pole which was lying around the site to see how deep it was, the pole went in nearly the whole length and hit the bottom, with the water over 3.5m deep.
So having no idea what it was we had to arrange to get the hole pumped clear of the water so we could see what was down there and how safe it was.

See the hole in the foreground, it was covered by a large stone

Measuring the hole, note full of water

Camera view as no way to get head in hole! Note the roof is arched and made of stone

Scaffold pole being used as a measure...

...this is how deep it is, it swallowed a whole length of scaffold pole!

Once it was pumped out we could see a little deeper and could make a photographic record. The sides seem to have been made of rock, fairly sheer and no drain holes, so it could have been a well. It is near to the house so not sure if it would have been foul drain, more likely a well?

Looking down from above, see two sides very smooth, other sides are chiseled, width about 1.2-1.4m

Side view, quite smooth considering nearly 4 m deep and presumable cut by hand

Arched stone roof, only about 300mm below ground level

another view from above, all taken by pointing camera into hole

view of hole from above ground level, showing arch stones.

After the photographic record and a video was recorded, for safety the well was filled with 20-40mm stone, both to support the well, the roof and in case anyone came across it and fell in, especially dangerous if filled with ground water, due to smooth sides and small space. 
It has been recorded on the National Trusts record system for that property.