I’ve been asked to repair a vintage daub panel. It’s in a medieval timber frame house, grade 2 and jettied. This beautiful building was first constructed around the time of Henry V111^th when the lane outside conveyed horse and cart. The house fronts a busy road now and six weeks ago an unsuspecting lorry driver failed to spot the overhang and smashed into it breaking 500 year old timbers and jolting the daub panels out of true.

Recycling the old daub

So, I went for a site meeting with the builder, surveyor, carpenter and owner and we talked a lot about conserving as much of the historic fabric of the building as possible. I asked that they keep me any daub that had to be removed because the old daub is the best. It has weathered for centuries and mixes up a treat for re-use.

Replacing the wattle frame

The veteran hazel rods fair less well. Having been cased in clay they are remarkably good for their age, but re-use is impractical. I will need green hazel with more bounce and flex than these dry relics have!

Using materials sympathetic to the building

I’m excited to be asked to undertake this job. It so easily could have been fixed with plasterboard and gypsum that are so alien to the timber frame and do it a great dis-service. The intention is to enable the building to breathe and render the daubed panels inside and out with lime.

The proposed time-scale slips a little as do all good building projects. I’m in no hurry, this is one to savour, and besides I live in a totally different era anyway. What worries me a little is the cutting of the hazel in full leaf. That doesn’t feel right. I would prefer to cut it in the late winter, but even with a bit of slippage this repair job needs doing this summer. So off I trundle to source new wattle framing.

Sourcing the hazel rods

I need 5-6 rods per 14” wide panel. They need to be straight with some bounce in them. I’m happy in my natural habitat with just my trusty billhook for company. I was fussing about the length of the panels until it realised that the hazel would help me with that. The quickly grown rods were coming out at 2 metres, and that was just the right length to comfortably go in my vehicle. Mostly they were one-years’ growth of 1” diameter, but I also harvested some stouter poles. These I plan to use for the horizontal spars that hold the rest of the verticals in place.

Fixing the wattle frame

My mind strays to string. Whilst I’d love to make Willow Herb or Nettle string, I’m going to compromise and make good use of preloved baller string. That way when they come to renew the panel in another 500 years future archaeologist will be able to date my work. Have a look at the original Lime Bast ties.

Will I plant a time capsule in one of the panels? Subscribe to the Orchard Barn e-news to find out.