Exciting times here at chez Pumpjack & Piddlewick. The Big Dig 2 * is underway! The bottom garden is finally being tackled and dug up, slowly. And already, what a discovery!
Last summer in the Big Dig 2 we found a set of stairs, a wall and a walkway, which had all been completely covered with dirt. Now we hope to connect the dots. Like an archaeological dig (though definitely not so detailed) it takes time to shifts years of accumulated dirt and mulch. I started with the wall and began digging outward and downward, leading to the discovery of a stone shelf, or seat. Then a 19th century drain emerged, which looks to funnel water from our Pechoir (place to store fish) to this structure.
A further corner tackled, slanted stones found and digging into the depths has led us to think this may by a Lavoir, used for washing clothes before the days of electricity. Wikipedia give a good description if you would like to know more, and the 1st picture in its Gallery, A Lavoir at Groix, at the bottom of the page is what it is emerging to look like – except still covered with lots and lots and lots of dirt. This is going to be a lonnnngggg term project.
If you are interested in following our various restorations, you’ll find our restoration photos on Flickr (though I won’t promise that they are all labelled. Yet. Too busy digging at the Big Dig 2.)
*Big Dig 1 is by the barn, and is essentially done now. Well, sort of.