First of the Year...Green Oak framed extension in mid Cornwall

We started cutting this nice little 2 storey extension just before Christmas, and have just spent a couple of days raising it. Phil Osbourne brought his excellent little crane up from Penwith, and after a slow start in the snow (!) on the first day, its was a pretty comfortable 2 days to raise, peg and secure. It ties into an old cottage; like most Cornish cottages headroom is an issue, so we had to make the most of the little we had, but there's enough to avoid having to duck yet still preserve the character.

It's a fairly modern style frame...all of the front gable will be glazed, with large Bi-Fold doors opening into the garden, and more glazing through large parts of the side elevations. The internal partitioning will be done in softwood studwork, but there are plenty of nice features in the frame as it is; little arch braces, tapered posts and collars, and housed purlin runs...we also hope to be building an oak staircase and various other oak features into the existing cottage. All in all a great frame to start the year with.

As soon as this is finished, we're back to the workshop for a sweep up and sharpen, and then straight into the next project, a small garden room with a hipped roof (see below). The workshop diary is already full right through spring and into summer with an nice variety of work...different sizes, styles and collaborators, so no time for kicking back now, got a schedule to stick to!