Day 10: The Boggy Land: Clearing The Ditch On The Irish Homestead Continues

[@ronaldlucas5360]

Enjoyed hearing the birds singing. The drone shots are nice. Gives a different look.

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Thanks Ronald. The birds are relentless at the start of the year, all looking for mates. Much quieter now but still around in abundance. Currently it is the swallows making all the noise haha. Thanks for watching and commenting :-)

[@ronaldlucas5360]

Be sure and pull the muck back so that when it rains that it doesn't get back into the ditches. The muck is very good to put on your fields or around anything.

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Thanks for the tip Ronald :-) Thanks for watching and commenting :-)

[@neutonrenda2303]

Yes, the drone shots really gives a great idea of how much you've done already. Fantastic.👍

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Good evening :-) Yes, it does, it was like a big reveal lol. I will do more drone stuff to get close up and above too. It explains where we are without explaining it. Thanks as always :-)

[@jaymanishere]

The drone shots are fantastic. It shows how much you've accomplished so far. Wonderful.

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Thanks very much. I am not the best drone pilot by any means so I cut out the really bad bits hahaha. At lot done but sadly well over out estimated 14 days. Never mind, we are enjoying being outside each day and bit by bit getting closer to the end. Thank you for watching and commenting :-)

[@izzygirl9591]

You know the cleaner and deeper you get that ditch the more it'll dry your land. That's where most of that water is coming from. Gl

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Yes fingers crossed it should with the land, we will stick some channels across the land to the ditch when we can and hopefully, like you say, dig the ditch deeper and the water will start to drain off the land 😊

[@jeanhawken4482]

The usual amount of thoughtful research producing an excellent outcome. Good on you. Love it.

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Thank you Jean 😘 I love a good bit of research…make the world go round lol.

[@TheBlueMoo]

I'm a fan of post10, so I certainly can have no complaints whatsoever about the muddy ditch content.

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Post10? I’ve googled and coming up with concrete mix 🤔🤣 please excuse my ignorance… we like that you’re fine with muddy ditch content though 😘 Thank you.

[@Bently2849]

Great detective work. both of you!! How exciting to find the "old" path and uncover and make it run again. I so enjoyed yesterday's post but didn't have a chance to respond to it but wanted you both to know that I had seen it. Have a great evening and day tomorrow and take care.

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Haha both at fault if anything goes wrong then 🤣 oh yes we were chuffed to bits to work out where the original ditch should be…or at least we hope should be…we will see for definite once we get that muddle of fallen trees done on the little bank. Back to it bit, looks to be a sunny one at the moment, so fingers crossed it stays dry for a while.

[@lizetteolsen3218]

Maybe once you get all the work done freeing the weeds and roots, you might also get a babbling brook that helps manage the drainage issue. Clearing away the debris in the channel area will be a huge help. Can you re-purpose some of the willow braches to aid with fencing? Amazing transformation--hard work with a real payoff.

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Yes, I think that’s what we will do with some of the willow. I chopped a few good and long ones yesterday that should work really well as fence posts. It made such a difference just pulling back some of the old leaves and twigs to the ditch so hopefully when we get it all cleared it will make a big difference to the land. The ditch on the opposing side needs a good rake out as well, so fingers crossed that will sort it out 🙂 Yeah definitely hard work, but like you say, such a payoff! Makes it all worth it.

[@walkingstickwoman]

I noticed that the water started showing up as you cleared up the ditch. I also like your path you made with the woodchips.

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Thank you! Paths seem to be holding up well, apart from in the really dipped parts of the land, but once we channel those parts to the ditch fingers crossed the land will drain a little more quickly off to the ditch.

[@ellenchapman5293]

The results of all of your efforts are really starting to show now, loved the aerial footage. Well done with bells on :) Thank you for sharing

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Thank you very much indeed Ellen. Not much more to do.... no wait, I am wrong... LOADS still to do. Thank you for joining us again :-)

[@helenangelful]

The story of the Ditch in lovely Leitrim continues. Wonderful drone shots of your land. I'm enthralled 👏👏👏

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Aww thank you, we're glad to hear that. There will be another ditch to rake out soon as well. Very exciting! 😍😊

[@LewisC1944]

Finding and clearing the ditches will defo help with drainage of your land. I would love a look at your "Hobbit" bush in the centre of your harden. XX

[@thecornerhouseproject]

It is great. Water starts at the top and runs all the way down and off the land. Who thought we would get so excited about a ditch hahaha. I will not let you look at my Hobbit bush Carol in the centre of our harden lmao. Sadly it won't last long as it is all brambles and ivy, but we will film in it before that happens :-) xx

[@dorygeancunningham8027]

Yeah, the new drone …definitely see the difference you two have made by the shots from above. It rained here today, good thing I got the gutters cleared. Husband is watching the Super Bowl, I prefer to watch your video. See ya tomorrow.

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Haha yeah I think I’d prefer to watch KZbin too! Oh yeah, it’s good to have the drone back. It’s really good to be able to see the whole of the land from above like that. See you later on 😘

[@theleahblack]

Primo cinematography on this one, guys! It's really a beautiful video.

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Thank you! He’s getting pretty good with the drone now! Glad you liked 😘

[@tracybush8115]

Really nice intro filming/music Ben - I noticed you did some of this style yesterday - very nice. Dawn, ditch info is interesting and it's really coming along nicely. Spot where the deadwood fence will go is perfect. It will be a fun project to try.

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Hi Tracy. Pleased you liked it / like it. Dawn is the Ditch Witch, (not the Tara Tine Ditch Witch @DiaryofaDitchWitch) but she worked out where it should flow. Now I want to keep it going under the roots of the tree as it looks like a fairy hole. (that sounds wrong) We are looking forward to the dead wood fence to fill that gap. We are keeping the branches we think will work well, so not so much to chip. As always Tracy, thank you :-)

[@tracybush8115]

Haha, yes maybe sounds wrong! But we're here for a good time.@@thecornerhouseproject

[@horza4530]

Great work you guys. You'll both be a fit as fiddles after all this graft. You might want to invest in a good spade, if you don't already have one. You can use that to slice through roots and whatever on each side of the ditch and then dig out the central section. I wouldn't make the ditch too wide, just a little deeper. Capillary action will draw water from the higher land around it into the ditch.

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Great tips Horza with the width and depth. We have a new spade but not tried it on roots yet. I try avoid that tool altogether as it requires effort haha. We think we are fitter and stronger since getting here, certainly more grey on the head. Thank you for watching and commenting. It is always nice to see you.

[@10928rob]

Having some nice weather there today. Nice drone footage there Ben, sounds like it was in sport mode,😂😂knowing you the way I do it was,.nice little video, don't over do it Dawn.xx❤

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Thanks Rob, no, just normal mode. Sports mode if for when I fly it over they lake and back again lol. There is one point towards the end of the video you can see the drone fly down the ditch in front of Dawn. I have tried to tell her, maybe her dad can tell her. She won't listen to either of us hahahaha. xx

[@10928rob]

@thecornerhouseproject Yes, I did see it. Dawns headstrong, but we can keep trying ,x

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Hahahaha, she is indeed :-)

[@sharonheron7559]

I too loved the drone footage - you get a real sense of what you have achieved and the little paths looked great from above. Before you shut off access with the dead branch hedge would that be a way to get in a mini digger to properly clear the ditch? I am afraid that a really heavy rain might undo Dawn's hard work. If the sludge could be put in a barrow by a digger and dumped in a spot where you intend to cultivate I am sure it would be full of nutrients for growing veggies. Just a thought... Best wishes for the next bit of work!

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Hi Sharon, how are you? I am pleased with the drone footage, it does really show the progress doesn't it. That is quite a drop there from the road to the land, but we have chatted about maybe making access for the future towards the bottom of the land, across the second ditch. This would be good for transporting animals, or whatever will struggle down the hill. Also a lot easier taking the wheelbarrow up the road than across the land and up the bank. Nice thinking though and a possible solution to getting a digger in as the land lies now. Ditches, we will chat with the farmer as we don't want to do anything to the ditch that may cause his fields to backup. At the moment they are running (trickling) but yes, a really good storm may push the stuff Dawn has pulled out back in. Hopefully not though. See you tomorrow with some lopping and raking lol. Thank you for being here and a channel member :-)

[@christinerowlands539]

God your both ploughing through it and you can see all the hard work you've done, it's going to look really nice when you are done. Loving the filming Ben,, really good 👍😘😘🌹

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Thank you very much. It is fun filming like this but time consuming. Worth it though I think. It will look lovely when done.... and then the animals, when we finally get some will destroy it all lol. xx

[@tracybrown6207]

The drone shots helped me get a bearing on everything. The ditch original course might be on an old map. Type in Geograph and search side by side on there. I have just done the same with regards to a local brook - found out its proper name and the original course it took, which has come in very useful. It might have a lovely little name rather than 'the ditch'. Once you have finished clearing it all out and is looking lovely, it will deserve a proper name, if it hasn't got one already

[@thecornerhouseproject]

The drone is a really good tool to have for stuff like this. I was thinking yesterday when I was filming that all of the land looks the same to people who aren’t standing there, so it can be difficult to work out where we are. I will definitely have a look at that. I love an old map! I’ve looked at all the old ones for the land and the buildings on it. They’re great to see how the buildings were all dotted around and also how few of them remain now. 😔

[@patriciapadgett4696]

Another great video of all your hard work, loving the ditch ! When we first bought our land , no fences anywhere, I used what we had and trawled the hedgerows to make a ' dead ' hedge. Still standing after 16 years without any posts or inter twining, bit like a dry stone wall 😂 Loved doing it . Take care, rest now & then. ❤️

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Wow that’s amazing after all these years it’s still going strong! Do you keep adding to it as it rots down or has it just remained good without any additions? Really looking forward to having a go at that! I think my body is starting to tell me to rest a bit now, but we are so close to getting “done” I feel compelled to keep at it! 🤣 and the sun is out this morning so off out in a bit to get back to it 😘

[@patriciapadgett4696]

@@thecornerhouseprojectHi again you two, glad the sun is shining. No, didn't add to our hedge, it stood the test of time, didn't rot away. Loved the rustic look of it, and looking to make one here in new house. Love ♥️

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Wow that’s even better then. Non maintenance fencing! The sun shone for a while but then turned into rain and hail! So indoors in the warm now! ❤️

[@paulafinn8005]

Loved the drone shots can realy see how the lands xxx

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Thanks Paula. I am quite proud of the editing for the drone. It really gives an idea of how much we have cleared and also where we have cleared it. More to go, well, lots to go, but we will get there. Thanks for watching and commenting :-)

[@paulafinn8005]

Be great to look back on and see how far you've come too loving the ditch work Dawn It's exciting to see how will help your land drains off into it in time to come so your doing important ground work keep up the good work xx

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Thank you 🤩 yeah fingers crossed if we get it right it should help the land hugely.🤞

[@TheHavasu_77]

When that ditch is all sorted out, it’s going to be so lovely, and probably will help SO MUCH with your drainage of your property!! I love the aerial view of the wood chip paths in the beginning, so beautiful. 😊 Also, I sent you some things in your Instagram messages just a bit of my life to share with you since you are sharing your lives with us, seems fair. 🤔🤷🏼‍♀️😂 Love you guys and have a wonderful weekend! 💚

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Yeah it really should and we have to get some drainage across the land too I think because it’s really puddling in places. Ooh thank you I will hop on over to instagram shortly 😊 We’re looking forward to getting the piles tidied up and do some drone footage of what it looks like when it’s all finished. 😁

[@SerendipitySharon]

What a difference! Best laid plans of action get waylaid when the land itself takes over, directing what next to do.

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Dawn is so easily distracted, but always in a good way. Once that bit was done she was soon back on the hedgerow. Tomorrows video will show you. Rain or not, Dawn will be working. Thanks for commenting and being with us :-)

[@kimrafferty7170]

I'm absolutely loving the daily videos, thank you so much for sharing your progress. A couple of days ago I thought - not all hero's wear capes, they wear red gloves and wellies - because what you have achieved Dawn in such a short time is amazing. It would be lovely to rename the - ditch - Corner House Creak 😊 When you mentioned Seasalter yesterday I had to rewind the video to make sure I heard you correctly because I lived in Seasalter for quite a while, I met my husband there and had our 2 sons there. The mud flats you were talking about was where the oyster beds were and it was vile smelling so memories shared. Thank you again for you wonderful videos, love to you both xxxx

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Aww 🥹 thank you! I just enjoy doing it so much, it’s really not a chore at all. I just said to Ben, I can’t wait to get up in the morning so I can start all over again…I’m just hoping we get it done before my enthusiasm for it disappears! 🤣🤣 but at the moment it’s going well! Haha we LOVE that… The Corner House Creek! Love Seasalter! We used to go when we were little and the years later before covid hit I used to work in Whitstable for a car parts firm and always loved it when I got to go to Seasalter to one of the places I used to deliver to. What a small world it is sometimes eh?! Thank for watching and for saying such lovely things. Love to you too. Xxx

[@andrewmaygothling6454]

Next time it rains, you two will be out there racing floating twigs along the ditch flow.

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Hahaha we should do that and we haven’t…stick it on the to do list! 🤣

[@Momma_of_4boys]

Y’all are doing a great job, glad to see it’s draining some of that water. Really nice drone footage Ben.

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Thank you very much. Exactly, it is going somewhere. Now we know where, we can plan on getting the boggy areas draining in the ditch too. Thanks and see you tomorrow :-)

[@jacquelinechilvers9361]

Excellent, what a great bit if detective work. That's a great place for a dead hedge. We'll done both x

[@thecornerhouseproject]

She is too clever Jacqueline, I look at it and I would have got it all wrong. I leave the brains to Dawn. Yes, the perfect spot to test our dead hedge. We have a nice, (several) piles of logs and branches to use now. Won't be long.... ish. Thank you as always :-)

[@annewhite8465]

No need to go to the gym, Dawn! Wow, that's heavy work, digging ditches. So satisfying watching, vicariously, you both get the land healthy again. Love your vids.

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Hi Anne Dawn is so determined when she gets going and is very hard to stop, a bit like a steam train. We are getting there, day by day, bit by bit. Thank you for joining us and taking the time to comment.

[@kaye-q1k]

Looking much better.

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Thank you Kathleen 😘

[@SweetOne.]

Absolutely brilliant - Doing those ditches (Rills) and getting them cleared out so they flow and drain properly is essential in mitigating mosquitos and midges. I think it needs to be a dug down where they are shallow to allow the banks to drain and prevent pooling during a 'long rain'. You definitely have your priorities in proper order mosquito season is almost here.

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Mosquitos love Dawn so the fewer we have the better. We are looking forward to getting the channel from the side of the house running in between the outbuildings and into the ditch, it will make a huge difference. It is like we planned it all. We seem to have a knack of making it look like we know what we are doing hahaha. See you tomorrow Janie and thank you :-)

[@SweetOne.]

@@thecornerhouseproject I think it's the British Blood, Mozzies luv my Mum too. They don't bother me so much, I may be a little radioactive still LOL email sent - you'll get the joke then. See you tomorrow

[@pitsnipe5559]

Hopefully once you get the ditch fully open the land will dry out.

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Hi, hope you are well. Fingers crossed, we will keep you posted. Ditch number two doesn't look as bad. Thanks for your comment :-)

[@jmck6320]

Hard work but instant results. Dawn and Ben dont forget to take an odd say off!

[@thecornerhouseproject]

I never forget, it is hard to make me remember stuff needs doing lol and Dawn just wants to carry on and on and on. Her hard work really shows in this video though. She has done a brilliant job. Thanks J Mck for your continued watching and commenting :-)

[@dcimedic]

Looks a thousand times better already. Trees along a ditch or creek look pretty but they always eventually do a number on the bank. If and or when you replant trees along the ditch just make sure you place them 2-3 yards from the edge that way you get the benefit of the roots stabilizing the bank but it’s less likely to be undermined and fall over in high winds.

[@thecornerhouseproject]

We are really pleased with it all so far, loads still to do though. Sadly the side to put the trees on isn't our land so we can't do that. I was thinking grass seed initially so the banks strengthen that way but we will see what happens with it all. It is early days but certainly food for thought with the planting. Thank you :-) Thank you for joining us again and commenting. Hope you are liking the daily videos and, new for us, format.

[@evelyngorfram9306]

Liking that atmospheric intro. Also, congratulations on your functional ditches!

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Thank you Evelyn. I love the intro as it really shows the scale of what we have achieved so far and how it looks at the moment. A couple of days behind sadly, but nearly there. Thank you again

[@kathryncooper7452]

I'm so far behind I've a backlog! New drone? Good to see the progress on the land, you'll be ready to get the fencers in soon!

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Yep, a new drone to replace the broken one. Come on Kath, please try and keep up hahahaha. Do we know any decent fencers? LMAO! Hope you are well. x

[@kathryncooper7452]

@thecornerhouseproject haha, I'm busy with work! I know fencers, don't know if they're decent though!

[@thecornerhouseproject]

hahaha. Be like me, don't work too hard :-)

[@mocarra100]

That drone shot of the garden really let's you see what you guys have done! I can see there are a lot of dead trees, I must say I love doing that kind of work but I can also say I don't envy you guys at all lol actually I wish I was there to help. When you first started out talking about not doing the ditches, and then you pause, and said, but I started doing the ditches 🤣 I would be the same way Dawn lol lots of work, but a life time to do 😊 great job! Much love from Oklahoma USA Jackie 🇺🇸💖

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Thanks Jackie, Yes, the drone work was worth it, and it is also fun when I am not crashing it, I think it worked well. Maybe a bit to much talking for you in this video, so I will sort out some high speed stuff for you tomorrow. High speed or fades, just for you. Dawn couldn't wait to get the ditches scraped but worth all of her effort. I am proud to say I was her chipper man as she has done a great job of all of it. See you tomorrow :-) PS - Get a flight, there is loads to be done still lol

[@mocarra100]

@@thecornerhouseproject video was just right 🙂

[@willwoodvine143]

A Digging Hoe might be of use when clearing the ditch, and also when you are trying to cut through tough undergrowth. I used one in a similar situation at our old house and it was a godsend.

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Thank you for the tip Will, we will have to have a look. Dawn several times has said she isn't a gardener, but I think with all of this she will be the head gardener. I am sure it will be on her tools to buy list very soon. Thank you for watching and commenting :-)

[@willwoodvine143]

No problem - love the videos! I also found the digging hoe useful when preppring ground ready for doing a veg patch. The soil contained so many roots from brambles, etc that a spade was useless - the hoe just cut through them and made digging easy - a bit like an "axe for digging"!

[@Mitch-Hendren]

10:39 definitely three steaks ill bring spuds and dessert 😋 oh.. willow stakes🤭. Ah well . Good to see more of the water running too .. itll aways find its own way by meandering around obstacles . Love that phrase " fully functioning". You really do sound chuffed to bits .

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Hahaha! Ooh yes, three steaks! 🥩 mushrooms, pepper sauce….😋 much nicer than willow stakes! Oh we really are, you come to something like this with no prior knowledge and to begin with you wonder “how will I ever do all of this” then little by little you learn new things that help and you get that “I’m actually starting to learn and figure things out!” And it’s those times that make you smile just that bit wider, don’t they?! It was great to see the water start to move a bit more.

[@johnoneill5812]

Who would have guessed that a 13 minute video about a muddy ditch would be so fascinating?? :) Thanks for the opening drone shot; it really highlights the progress that you have made in clearing the property. Does the main ditch flow anywhere or was it dug to provide demarcation between properties and a place for excess water to accumulate? If flow to a stream, pond or lake could be established (or re-established) it might help dry out your property. Best regards.

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Hi John I loved putting those opening drone shots together, like you say, it is a wow moment. So much so, even Dawn went "WOW" when she saw it for the first time. The ditch runs to a stream and then on to a canal and series of other lakes. Hopefully once cleaned some more it will help the land drain. At the top, where Dawn is in this video, we will make some trenches to try and help drain the top really wet, boggy area. Thanks for being here :-)

[@peterdowden7694]

Mix that ditch mud with some chips and you'll get the best ever compost

[@thecornerhouseproject]

A great idea Peter, thank you. If I don't run out of chippings from making the paths, that is what we can do with them as they will only break down in a pile in no time at all. Thanks again.

[@kflan3342]

I am hoping a battery powered tool company will see your hard work and offer to sponsor you with some battery powered chainsaws and trimmers. Your challenging project could highlight some company!

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Hi K Flan, we hope you are well. We have a chainsaw waiting to come out of the box so we can cut back the larger branches and trunks. Dawn loves the hedge trimmer and pruning saw thing, they are her go to tools. Maybe someone will feel pity for us and send us some stuff lol. Thank you for watching and commenting, it means a lot :-)

[@adds91]

Fantastic work! Not sure if anyone else has commented this but I’m wondering if your fall trees are linked to the ditch and the soil being wetter. There doesn’t seem to be fallen ones on the other side of the land and I think tress fall easier in storms if the ground is saturated, so that side is just more susceptible to storm damage and falling trees?

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Yes I think you’re right because every willow along the perimeter of the land has either fallen right down or is leaning over and a ditch borders both side and the bottom of the land. It’s weird because willow are attracted to growing in damp land but they clearly can’t stay upright in it! Haha.

[@nimuehmoon872]

....👍

[@thecornerhouseproject]

💐🌷🌹🌸🌺

[@coby6417]

👏🌟👍🍀💐

[@thecornerhouseproject]

🍀 💪 𓍢ִ⁠໋🌷͙֒ Thank you :-)

[@CynthiaEvans-i2f]

❤

[@thecornerhouseproject]

👋❤️

[@coby6417]

👏🌟👍🍀💐

[@thecornerhouseproject]

🍀 💪 𓍢ִ⁠໋🌷͙֒ Thank you :-)