Getting ready for the new season

Our oven sustained some winter damage with a partial collapse of the doorway in the snow – due to the fact we hadn’t protected it from the elements at all!

Damage stripped away

Damage stripped away


Having chatted to some expert cob builders I decided I would experiment with a leaner mix of clay to sand – 1:4 – basically just enough clay to stick the sand together.

I built up a sand former for the doorway, made my mix with a mortar mixer paddle on a drill and rebuilt the doorway.

Sand former

Sand former

Then I built a roof out of some old fence boards and some 2×1 wood!