Almost...

Everyone is pleased to see the end in sight for the below-ground works. Before this can be fully realised, however, there is the small matter of dealing with the 100 cubic metre 'hole' in the hillside where the ground should have been. You always uncover unexpected things when you start digging around in the ground, and this project is no exception. Through the course of the subterranean works it became apparent that a large are of the original sloping landscape had been artificially created in layers over the decades (centuries!). Unfortunately, this 'made ground' is not suitable for building on, so the whole lot had to be excavated. To fill in the gap, 0.6m wide massive concrete walls had to be built underneath the line of the new building, before the area could be filled in with decent quality material.

Elsewhere, it is great to see walls rising out of the earth finally, and even some stonework starting to appear!