Residential Outdoor Centre of
The London Borough of Barking & Dagenham

The Iron Age Hut

As this may be the last full week of our enforced closure that can be devoted to this project I have decided to interrupt the work on the roof to complete the daubing of the walls. This has to be completed in one period as a mixer has to be hired and the lime is more effective if used 'fresh'.

There are many recipes for daub; most contain varying proportions of earth, clay, animal dung and hair or straw to act as a binder. Restrictions on visiting farms have stopped us using these materials, and so our daub will be made of soil (which has a high clay content) and lime putty. This will be a more expensive method, but does have the advantage of being able to ensure consistency of the mix and be a bit more hygienic. The other component of the daub is straw to act as a binder. However straw is in very short supply and farmers are reluctant to part with any. We eventually managed to secure two precious bales 'as a favour' from a local merchants.

The cement mixer was the largest we could hire from the local plant supplier, and it performed the job well. A 'mix' consisted of soil and lime putty at a ratio of 15:3 with a little water and a few handfulls of straw. This filled a wheelbarrow, and when thrown onto the wattle covered about 0.7 square metres. To cover both sides of the wall took about 50 barrowfulls - about 5 tonnes of daub. The daub has to be 'thrown' at the wall to ensure it sticks, and it is smoothed roughly into shape. It is not worth finishing this base layer because as a natural part of the drying process it cracks and so these have to be filled, and the final surface applied, later.

Trewern Outdoor Education Centre
Cusop, Hay-on-Wye
Herefordshire. HR3 5RF
Email:office@trewern.bardaglea.org.uk
Tel: 01497 820512
Fax: 01497 820056