Digging a dry well

We have been very fortunate with the weather this year. Lots of warm weather, dry weather, and even a mild autumn so far. However, there was a week at the end of July when it was very, very, wet. On the 25th, water started collecting around the Peerie Hoose, so S called our groundworks contractor who came and dug a dry well. This was a hole two metres wide on both sides and two metres deep, which was then filled with stones to give the water somewhere to drain. Sorted! Or so we thought…

Then on the 29th, there was an amazing deluge of water. It was raining fairly hard, but then suddenly it was like a monsoon. I’m not being hyperbolic – my mother who lived in India for four years said it truly was monsoon rain (without the warmth!), and this level of rain held up for at least forty minutes. It was quite something. And when all was said and done, not only had the dry well not been able to drain all the water, but the foundations and bottom of the plinth wall of the Peerie Hoose were flooded with several inches of water.

Flooded Peerie Hoose

Coll checks the water level on what were the foundations for the outdoor fireplace

Coll inspects the flooded ‘Gabion basket’

This could have been a problem for the lime mortar in the plinth walls, which was still drying. If it stays waterlogged for too long before having fully dried, the mortar can be ruined so that it never dries. Luckily, Scott was able to come by with a digger within an hour or so and dug a drainage channel. The water then drained away into the woods south-west of our plot. At the end of the day, all was fine (including the lime mortar) though it had been quite an experience!

Digging a drainage channel, the water draining away from the Peerie Hoose