Beaming!

Yesterday I spent several hours applying a thick paste of paint stripper to the huge beam in the living-room of Cowslip Cottage.    It had been painted with thick, black, treacly paint but I was keen to see what the wood underneath was like.

It is a huge chunky piece of wood and I found myself wondering how many years have passed since the tree was a sapling.   It must have grown for many years, the beam is about four and a half metres long, so it was quite a big oak tree when it was harvested.

Given that Cowslip Cottage is more than 160 years old, then add on the age of the tree and it takes it back to vastly different times.

I love the metal detail at the window end, I'll work hard to get it cleaned up properly.

This is the underside of the beam, the one side which really worried Max, he thought it may have been an add-on, made from some cheap wood...but no, it is of the same age and beauty.








I worked on scraping and washing the beam until lunch time.  I'll do the same again tomorrow.   It is so exciting, the wood is golden and glowing and the grain is fabulous.   It is a joy to be revealing it again.

Once I had cleared up for the day I needed to take a few minutes of fresh air, any excuse to enjoy your pretty gardens.

They are difficult to spot but the Estate cattle are chewing the cud in the area through the trees.

I can't wait to see what tomorrow reveals.
x