EMESS

EMESS put on a display of mud and stud at the Newark Show in May on both of the weekend show days. A lot of interest was sparked in the displays as well as our Mud and Stud Archives. We had four displays as well as our mud and stud demonstration frame, a lime plastering frame, mud samples, and some traditional building tools. Some interested individuals asked for advice on traditional earth buildings as well as new earth builds. We attracted some new members who got stuck in at our Tumby Workshop in June. At the Show we had our demonstrations of putting mud on the stud-work, only a few children helped us with mixing the mud and others helped to put the mud on the frame itself. Photograph taken by  Tony      -    "The Future Earth Builders"

Repairs to Tumby Moorside Barn On 21st May, further repairs were carried out to the barn at Tumby Moorside by EMESS Members. In fact, two new members received personal training in some of the relevant repair techniques involved in mud and stud building. This barn is a listed Grade II building, and so, as long as the repairs are carried out on a like-for-like basis, the Society has the permission of the local Council to carry them out. After an introduction to the building and a review of previous repairs, lime washing of the most recently repaired wall area was undertaken. The area was about halfway along the west facing wall. It was then time to mix a batch of mud, which was quite hard work in itself, but very satisfying one the straw had been absorbed into the mud. Part of the former internal wall on the east side was repaired by building up the mud around the new laths which had been fixed previously. Although this wall is now under cover, the rain spilling off the adjoining mod