Getting plastered!

Most of the interior walls of the stable yard buildings have now been finished with two layers of lime plaster - a base coat and a finish coat.

Bags of lime plaster NPTL/Jon Whitehead

The production and use of lime plaster dates back hundreds of years. The dry mix consists of slaked lime (calcium hydroxide) and sand, or other fillers. After water is added, the plaster is applied to the walls. Lime plaster has several advantages over cement-based mortars. Less carbon dioxide is generated during its manufacture and it also absorbs carbon dioxide during the curing process. It is relatively flexible, which is useful in older buildings where the walls may adjust their shape over time.

A base coat of lime plaster has been applied to the wall on the left NPTL/Jon Whitehead

In other HOP Project news, the renovation of the waterwheel in the River Wandle has been completed and you can now see what it looked like when it powered one of the two snuff mills at Morden Hall Park.

Exciting times for the Wandle, which has just been named one of the 10 most improved rivers in England and Wales.

The renovated waterwheel NPTL/Jon Whitehead