The Privy Restoration

These are the Russian Vine roots that did all the damage to the privy

It was time to get the cement mixer our and start the rebuilding.My children gave me the mixer many years ago and it has proved to be really useful.  However we only use lime mortar mixes on this site. Using strong cement mixes does more damage because the building becomes too ridged. 

The Restoration Of The Privy

The Damage done by the Russian Vine was considerable and we had to take this wall apart to remove the vine that was growing into the building. The Russian Vine originated from the garden of the adjacent  property and had worked its way into the walls and down to the ground on our side. Luckily for the vine, but not for us, it found a big pit to provide an excellent source of nutrition, since the pit was the privy cess pit!

                         These are some of the roots that were removed from within the Privy's walls

The Restoration Of The Privy

The Privy, at the Prebendal Manor is 19th century and  in the garden at the north end of  the manor. It was in a bad state of disrepair and in danger of collapsing. A huge branch from a Russian vine had grown into the walls.  Because it was also covered in ivy we did not notice that the walls were being split apart. None of our visitors, or the volunteers who help here when the manor is open to the public, knew that there was a privy in the garden!

 It was time to take action and to restore the privy before it fell down!

The School Open Day

This is the end of this project. We had a lovely afternoon with all the school, who came to see the exhibition for the first time. They were very pleased to see that  all their work had been included. They loved the film that they had made of themselves working on the project. We had to show it  twice.  The teachers, parents and grandparents also came, luckily it was a lovely sunny afternoon.

The exhibition will run until the end of September, at which time we will give children back all the dove models that they made.


Looking at their poems

Having fun

Watching their film

Publish Post

Dove City

The Dovecote exhibition is now finished, and on Monday May 9th all the children from Nassington Primary School will be visiting with their parents and grandparents to see see all the work that they have completed for our exhibition. 

We made a film of the children working on the project and we will also be showing it for the parents and families in the Tithe Barn Museum.

This picture shows 'dove city' which was made by the children in year four.

 Since the dovecote is sometimes damp we put it in a big fish tank that we were given, to keep it dry!

Dovecote Exhibition

We are getting there. 

This week we started to put all the information about the history of dovecotes onto our huge doves. We have also put some of the children's poems, which are really good, onto the birds. There are however lots of fiddly things to finish off before we open on Easter Monday.

Jake Allen is editing the video that the children made in the school and we have placed one of the poems on the door of the dovecote to tempt our visitors to enter.                                                                                                                                                    

Nassington Primary School

The Nassington Primary School have been working very hard on the dovecote exhibition which will be open for Monday 25th April. However we will be showcasing their work before an invited audience for the children, parents, grandparents and the teachers. We collected all the things from the school that they have made, including poetry and weaving.