The HEAVIEST STONES We Have Ever Moved: Our Farmhouse Renovation In Ireland

[@Susan.I]

Huge and heavy bolder!

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Very much so!

[@aplace2grow]

As a woman who has moved heavy stones, if you ever need to move large ones again, you might try rolling it end over end to reach the destination instead of lifting it into the wheelbarrow.

[@kathibrooks1401]

Those large stones would be perfect for steps.

[@thecornerhouseproject]

They really would. We were saying the other day actually that we could put some stones down as stepping stones. Maybe these are the ones to use 😊

[@Baud2Bits]

I had to lie down on a hard floor for a week after just watching you lift those stones.

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Haha….luckily he was alright but I think we do need to get a sack barrow in preparation for when we need to move them again 😂

[@AnnetteCarolanFourie]

Its coming along nicely you both have done such a remarkable job of the property and buildings

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Thank you very much 😊

[@lisawoods2023]

Those stones look very heavy, good on you

[@thecornerhouseproject]

So heavy. And to this day, until we need to move them, they can stay there haha.

[@Cuernavacachica02]

Hi Dawn and Ben! Oh my goodness, I felt that back and leg movement to lift those huge stones!! Be careful, Ben!! I was thinking - can you lay rock and build a wall in the front and throw some of that dirt there? It looks a little low there. Everything Is so green and beautiful!! The wall that Dawn cleaned is a beautiful backdrop for an outside sitting area! 😊😊 Loved the video today! See ya next week! 🤗🤗

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Hi Josefina, ooh I felt it too when I watched it back on the video as I hadn’t seen him doing it otherwise I’d have been telling him to roll them! It’s amazing how green it is here! When I go upstairs and look out of the landing window out over the land I’m in awe at how green it all is…everywhere you look it’s green, it’s stunning! 😍 Ooh you’re absolutely right with the wall area, it gets the sun pretty much all day long too, proper little sun trap! Aww we’re soo glad you liked the video! See ya next week! ❤️

[@kimgraham4459]

Amazing work!! We love to hear from you whenever it works for you!

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Thank you! It feels odd only doing one a week but it has meant we can get a lot more done around here, which is a good thing 😊

[@TheHavasu_77]

I’m blown away at just how much you’ve moved and cleaned up in your backyard!! Amazing! I’d use the stones to pave a little drainage path between the buildings, that would look really neat. Just be careful, my back was crying for you when you were lifting that huge one! As always, it’s always good to see you guys and much love from America!! 😊💚

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Aww Hello! ❤️ Thank you! We’re chuffed to bits with it all…plenty still to do but it’s looking so much better now. We wonder if the stones that are still beneath the soil are the ones that may have been there originally for that very reason but we will see when we get to the ‘bottom’ wherever that may be. We’ve had break from that for a little while to let Ben recover 😂 Good to ‘see’ you too. 💚

[@ldianehigley3287]

My husband and I used to use a hand truck to move stones that large when we were moving huge stones in the backyard. We used bungee cords to keep them from falling off. You have done so much, and it looks really great!

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Hi Diane We may need to invest in a sack truck at some point, we just don't have one at the moment. So for now, the really heavy stones can stay where they are haha. Thank you for watching, commenting and being a channel member. :-)

[@LewisC1944]

Good to see you back. Just a suggestion. iI you move your spare soil, starting at the bottom of your land and spread a thin layer, 3/4 inches, the vegetation will quickly grow through and you will be surprised how much you can get rid of. Please record the Cuckoos again XX

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Thanks Carol :-) I think for now we are going to keep it as one big pile by the trees. We need to have a look at drainage for the bottom of the land as it turns to mud as soon as there is a drop of rain and we walk on it. Even after a week of sun and it was nice and dry, this morning it was already soft to walk on. We will see if we can get the cuckoos, sometimes they are close, of course when we don't have the cameras or phones and when we do they are in the distance. We did learn last night that we have grasshopper warblers though. Thanks Carol :-) xx

[@sylvanaire]

@@thecornerhouseproject I was thinking that it might not be a good idea to spread the dirt down on your property because you don’t know what’s in it. The previous farmer might have used all kinds of chemicals and stuff, and then it would be next to impossible to get it out of your land if you ever wanted to. But I hadn’t thought about it being muddy so that’s probably the best reason not to do it. Great progress today so important to get the drainage taken care of, and this was a good first step. 👏👏👏

[@TheJuliadesigns]

So much for letting Dawn do all the hard work....lol

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Haha he does his fair share. He likes to admit he doesn’t like hardwork but he does do it 😂

[@kaye-q1k]

Wow my back was yelling thank goodness he lifts properly. We see the improvements great weeks worth of hard work.

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Haha well, that’s because in a previous life he was the manual handler for the company, so for the person who taught you how to lift properly it would be poor show of him to not lol. It’s been a good week with lots of stuff done and it’s been lovely to be catching up with all the things we’ve needed to get done but haven’t had the time 😊

[@terryroberts4589]

I would get a mini digger and take that big tree out that is on the end of the ditch and make a new ditch going down the side of the garden to the bottom, that would make a good video to show at the end of the week and then do a good job/ video like that once a week good luck 🍀🤞 keep the video's coming you are doing a good job 👍.

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Thank you Terry. One day we will get that tree out lol, it’s sooo massive we haven’t even attempted touching. We are toying with the idea of a mini digger for various things that need doing so maybe that might be the time when it finally gets moved lol and yes, the ditches will be in the agenda too. Watch this space 🍀🥰

[@robertchautardjensen6846]

The large stone that is bothering you can be moved. If you excavate around it, then put down 4" round timber as railway tracks, then place 4" rollers on the tracks, and lever the stone onto the rollers and bingo, you can move the stone wherever you want it to go. Remember, the heavier the object, the longer the lever and always have a robust object to use as a fulcrum for your lever. Don't hurt your back, let the fulcrum and lever do the lifting for you.

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Thank you for this because it will come in very handy for anymore that we can’t move, I am sure there’s going to be some more in there that are too big for us!

[@robertchautardjensen6846]

@@thecornerhouseproject I relocated a 2.5 Tonne granite boulder using this method. Not easy, but otherwise, I would have had to cut it into manageable chunks, and that takes a lot of time...

[@cindyblair1283]

Maybe put in a French drain in the area that you dug all that dirt. Than maybe also you can start adding more rock to it. Make a rock patio and fire pit!

[@thecornerhouseproject]

I think the video after this one, or the one after that says about our plans, once of which is drainage through that area. With just those stones removed, the water from the the house side which used to just sit in the soil now flows through to the ditch. We are winning... slowly, but winning all the same. Thank you Cindy :-)

[@debraimmer260]

I admire your stamina…looks overwhelming

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Sometimes it feels a little overwhelming but on a whole we try and get on with it and not look too far ahead. Thank Debra for watching and commenting :-)

[@krisgalusha9820]

A Weeping Willow could help dry up low points. They are gorgeous also.

[@thecornerhouseproject]

They are beautiful and I don’t think we have a weeping one…we have a lot of goat willow, grey willow and one white willow as far as we can tell. We will probably get some new ones put in as most of the ones that look like they are on our land actually come from the farmers land, but as they are leaning over the ditch so much it looks like they’re on our land 😂

[@helentaylor4911]

Have you considered laying agricultural pipe, the type with holes in that the water drains into.

[@dishmurphy6539]

I’m so used to seeing the incremental changes but seeing your last week’s work all at once is amazing. Massive cleanup and organizing. It’s great seeing the base of most of the buildings Well done. Have a great week ✌️💚

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Thanks Dish, it does make it a bit more of a wow moment not seeing the bits in between. That wall Dawn has worked on will look great when we get rid of the green bags (which we can't lift, only drag) to show the whole of the wall. You have a nice week too and thank you so much for being a channel member :-)

[@patkilmurray4702]

There's nothing quite so pretty as rustic stone buildings, so much nicer than bricks and you're lucky to have so many to use in future projects, imagine having to buy them from the garden centre. You've made such progress in a week and bitty videos are absolutely fine, we find them interesting. As for the plantng season, you haven't missed it, it's really late this year and seeds have been taking ages to germinate due to the cold weather, there's still time although I can see that it's not a priority. Hope your back isn't too sore Ben, that was some serious heavy lifting.❤

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Oh they really are gorgeous, I love just looking at them and the different stones that were used and how they were used. The sandstone is stunning contrasted against the limestone. You’re right they would cost an absolute fortune at a garden centre, it’s nuts really when you see how many are dotted around the land. That’s nice to hear with the bitty videos, we’re always a little concerned when we don’t have “big” jobs going on that you all won’t find it very interesting to watch, but it’s also difficult to just do big jobs as we do so many little bits here and there too…Ben said the other day maybe we should change our name to “Life at The Corner House” lol That’s handy to know with not being too late for planting but yeah at the moment it’s not a priority but would be lovely to at least grow some little bits and pieces like the cucumbers and tomatoes that Lukas has planted. Luckily Bens back seems to be ok, but I do wonder if rolling from now on is the way to go rather than lifting them lol

[@colettelavery7452]

I​@@thecornerhouseproject

[@roleplayingeldoria]

I like shorter videos. FIts in my day better. Glad you are going to save what is left of the oldest building.

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Sometimes it is easy to make a 30 minute video and it just works other times we would have to cut too much footage out but we know what you mean. You can speed them up a little bit with the tool bar at the bottom of the video if they are too long though :-) It would be a shame to let it fall down just for the sake of some lime mortar and time. It has been there a long time like it, so if we can help it we will. Thank you so much for watching and commenting :-)

[@jaymanishere]

My suggestion would be to clear all the vegetation, tree, ivy and tree roots so it would be easier to work in the area.

[@thecornerhouseproject]

That’s a good suggestion but it’s not going to be easy to remove that tree without the wall falling down, the tree is resting on the top and all the way to the other side too. We have asked the farmer next door if we can come via his land to clear all the brambles before they take over so will do the Ivy at the same time. We cleared a fair bit of it last year but it was a bit awkward to get to it all from our side.

[@colettelavery7452]

Ben and Dawn oh gosh what an amount of work you both have achieved this week. Please be careful of your backs. The stone buildings are really looking fantastic now that the ground is flat and the ivy has almost gone. Take care and mind yourselves. God bless you both xx

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Hi Colette, it’s been a really good week for work this one, lots of bits ticked off the list of things that get sidelined because other things need doing lol. We promise to be a bit more careful with our backs, we are looking forward to the day where the heavy stuff is just a distant memory! You take care too and “see” you soon. Xx

[@mandytaylor1008]

What a hard slow job for you both. Will you restore these buildings by putting on roofs again? I love listening to the birds it’s so so lovely. I guess you can do all this restoring for as long as it takes. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Well done both of you. I keep finding odd videos but not in succession.👍

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Aww it’s so lovely to just listen to the birds around here. It’s so very peaceful here, most of the time it is just the birds that you hear. Yes the plan is to get a roof back on to the one that is missing a roof and then the flat roofed one needs a new roof too as it is a bit leaky 😂 I wonder if we need to put numbers our videos as we’ve had a few people say odd videos keep popping up out of sync. I’ve noticed it myself with other KZbinrs that I watch too.

[@steffieswaddling8432]

I do hope you are able to buy that bit of land and the building, it would just finish off your land beautifully

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Ooh yes that would be lovely if we could, because you’re right it would finish it off nicely. ❤️

[@margaretjohnson226]

you could something wonderful with all those stones !

[@thecornerhouseproject]

I am sure we will find a use for them at some stage, there are some lovely ones and all faced from where they used to be part of the building. We don't rush in to using them though in case we decide to put them back on top of the walls they came from. We haven't thought that far ahead with this building as it only has the two sides. Thank you Margaret for watching and commenting :-)

[@maureenthompson158]

Great work you two. Lovely to see kitty listening to the birdsong- no evil intent I’m sure 😅

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Oh no Maureen, none at all, he was just checking they were all OK and still singing hahaha. Hope you are well and thank you for watching and commenting :-)

[@mariarichmond4179]

While your waiting why not use the area for burning of the ivy etc. loving the videos 😊😊😊❤❤❤

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Thank you! Oh how we wished we could but burning of anything outdoors is banned in Ireland. So, much to our disappointment, we can’t do that. 😔❤️❤️❤️

[@cohort2001]

What an ivy monster that is👾

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Oh we have had some amount of ivy to remove but that one could well be the oldest and largest one we have to tackle.

[@stan525]

subscribed and will binge tonight to catch up, you both have a good easy delivery of information and balance of work. enjoying the fresh up of the old Homestead.

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Thank you Stan, that means a lot! And also very much appreciated and good luck with binging them. 😊

[@justgoodness333littlehomes5]

Could you use that metal drum as a burn barrel and slowly burn the excess ivy? The wood ash is so beneficial for garden soil.

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Good afternoon to you over there, how are you? We could but that would be naughty as fires are not legal anymore in Ireland ;-) There is a bonfire night in June though and we are going to celebrate that :-) Thank you as always for watching and commenting :-)

[@justgoodness333littlehomes5]

@thecornerhouseproject I'm doing well but it's already scorching hot here and will be until October. 😭 I hate it.

[@shannongarlitz8434]

So glad you are back!!

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Hahaha, thank you Shannon :-)

[@Shae_9876]

👏💪Well done Ben and Dawn! ❤

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Thank you Shae :-)

[@the.artist.donaldb]

Be careful and aware! The ruin wall on the back end looks to be leaning towards the opening you are clearing.

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Oh we are always checking the state of stones when we are doing things like this as they are just killers. I think it may have been the camera as it actually leans slightly away from the alley space. BUT, we still check often when we are doing stuff. Thanks again for watching and commenting :-)

[@Klad444]

Guys. you need a crobar, a proper one about 1.5m long. Use it to roll big stones, a lot easier on your back. Also, try breaking stones. use a heavy sledge hammer to hit points about a inch apart along the line you want the stone to break. Ideally all the way around the stone. Follow a fault line if you see one. its hard work,but rewarding.

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Strangely we watched a video today of a stonemason breaking a huge piece of sandstone, with a pick axe and some wedges. We’re reluctant to break any at the moment just because we have some big holes to repair in the outbuilding without the roof so they may come in handy for that. We will look at getting a longer crowbar though because at some point we have to move them again 😂 so thank you for the tip 😊

[@andie1769]

Wow, great work! There is the recent video from Project Portugal where he made steps from massive stones. He used a fulcrum and smaller stones for leverage. Hard graft, but still effective - might save your back! Looking wonderful with the walls exposed. Don’t worry about making the raised beds, ( though maybe just one for your strawberries & cucumbers, It just gives a solution to the issue of excess soil. Like a placeholder. Cheers to you both! 😊

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Thank you! We will take a look at the project portugal video and see if we can make our lives a bit easier lol thank you for that. Ooh yes definitely need at least one raised bed for tomatoes and cucumbers. 🥒 🍅 last year one of the neighbours bought us cucumbers a few times, so it will be lovely if we can return the favour this year!

[@gwenCroud-c8g]

Good job, Ben looked bloody hard, lifting those stones well done 👏

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Thanks Auntie Gwen, yeah they were blooming heavy, not that I lifted any of those ones 😂

[@CassCassidy-qs3gx]

Your doing brilliant work what a change it look a lot clearer

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Thank you Cass. We are getting there slowly :-)

[@terrybull1043]

I could feel the pressure building there geezer 😂👍👍.

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Oh the pressure was rising. I am pleased to say that those stones can stay where they ended up for a while haha. Thanks Terry

[@martinmoore9758]

Mind your back! If you 'D-word' and stone line a channel (like the other one)from the circular pool to the ditch it might help drain the muddy area?

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Oh not the D-word hahahahaha. Once we know what it was we can look at putting in drainage of some sort. We think we may need a couple of channels, maybe just a gravel one to start but we do like the suggestion to make another gully style thing. Thank you Martin :-)

[@bobbiebrandel3152]

Amazing improvement! So look forward to seeing your videos.

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Thank you Bobbie. We are getting there and the warmer, dryer weather is now here, so hopefully things will move a little faster. Thanks for watching and commenting as always :-)

[@anniedavis4569]

I love the old stone sheds and my them stones looked heavy. Love greenhouse too. It’s going to be beautiful

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Oh they were really heavy, I wouldn’t have been able to lift them and I think Ben wished he hadn’t started! Aww yes we love the stone sheds too they just stand there looking so beautiful don’t they? Greenhouse bits are doing really well too 😊

[@edhughes8619]

Great just being who you all are and doing what you do.... great work!

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Thank you Ed, really nice of you to say that. There is lots to do and sadly not all of it is Wow, or striking, sometimes there is the Meh stuff to do too. Thanks again and have a nice week ahead :-)

[@TrudiShearin-wr6wk]

Looks good! You guys are killin’ it!

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Thank you! ❤️

[@christinerowlands539]

God that looked hard work Ben , pity you don't have a little digger.lve just started growing my runner beans, can't beat fresh runner beans 👌

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Ooh love fresh runner beans! I always remember them from dad growing them when we were little. Nothing quite like home grown ones! A digger would be nice and we have been thinking about it for a few things now the land is drying out a bit, so fingers crossed we can get a few jobs sorted with that. ❤️xxx

[@Lamhan_Scotland]

Lovely to see you back, have to admit I miss the more frequent videos but understand how much work goes into making them for us all to enjoy. Will it be a French drain in between the buildings to the wee stream? It would look so lovely having a pond right at the bottom of the garden which your ditch/ stream could empty into. Your progress is amazing, well done to you both :-) Nice to hear daughter with her veggies too

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Hi Joanna We are hoping we will be able to leave it exposed somehow as we do like to see how much water is no longer running into the side of the house, as daft as that sounds. Once we have raked it all out we can see how low it is and decide the best way forward with it. A pond would be nice and something we have discussed over time, no solid plans for one yet though. Luka loves growing stuff, he seems to have green fingers, must get it from Dawn's Dad and my Mum. He may become head gardener lol. Thank you so much for watching and commenting :-)

[@Scottish-tart]

I don't mind your bits of this and bits of that. It's all good. All I can see is progress and it'll look lovely when it's finished. 🥰

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Progress is always good and a weekly video will hopefully show more of what we achieve than 3 a week showing just little bits of nothing much happening. Thank you so much for watching and commenting :-)

[@neutonrenda2303]

It's amazing to see how well the gravel has changed that back area from a mud pit.👍

[@thecornerhouseproject]

It’s been one of the best things that we’ve had done to be honest. It was getting miserable walking through the mud and not being able to park anywhere. We will need to top it up in places but it’s holding up really well

[@the.artist.donaldb]

While you are working on improving your house drainage you should eventually repurpose the ruin on the right to rebuild the one on the left. Plenty of stone to do a restoration project of the other out buildings with the help of a stone mason

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Oh we certainly have some amount of stones. First will be the left hand outbuilding being repaired as this will be the most use to us once we get a roof back on it. Once done we will be free to use any stones for various uses. There are only the two walls on the third building so preserving what is there will do for the future. We may just lime it for now for stability. Thanks for watching and commenting :-)

[@GizmoCat-s5e]

Oh ivy is heartbreaking and back breaking!

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Oh we have / had so much of it. One day we will have it all removed from the buildings and trees and then it will be a case of staying on top of it. The apple tree certainly appreciated it being removed. The roots are the biggest pain as they take so long to get out and like you say, back breaking. Thank you for watching and commenting :-)

[@davidcoombe1811]

you've cleared a lot and it will only look better, doing a grand job

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Thanks David. A little bit at a time and we will get there. Rome wasn't build in a day and all that haha. Thanks for watching and commenting :-)

[@judyholdsworth7096]

I’ll be happy to get a video from you when you get the chance to edit something together. Please don’t make the videoing a chore you start to detest. It will be lovely when it’s finished ❤️🇦🇺

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Thank you Judy. It will be lovely when it is finished, whenever that will be haha. Thank you so much for watching and commenting :-)

[@terrylink6174]

It’s all coming together for you both well done 😊

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Thank you Terry. A bit at a time. Lots of little jobs gets a lot done and tie it all together. Then we get to move on to the bigger stuff again. We will get there in time. Thanks again :-)

[@rebeccazody1278]

You are really strong to move those stones. I was relieved to see the pry bar. I have to use that pry bar in many of my tasks. I love the progress you have made.

[@thecornerhouseproject]

He did really well with moving those because they are sooo heavy. The bar made it a lot easier though lol Aww thank you, we’re quite pleased with it all so far.

[@micheledenise2305]

I think the hole in the back is a pig waller...😊

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Haha it does look like that right now with the water and sludge in it! I had to Google what one was first lol

[@micheledenise2305]

Oh Dawn the big sink u can fill it and use it for flowers and herbs behind ur house...😊

[@neutonrenda2303]

With some gravel that muddy part can be made into part of a wonderful pathway towards the bigger garden.👍

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Yes, that’s something we’ve been toying with the idea of, we will need to scrape some of that soil back first though as it’s quite deep. It might have to be a digger for that side though as we can’t face anymore big scale digging! 🫣

[@Torridgemaid]

You need a sack truck!

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Yes that would have been very helpful because they were heavy!

[@kathryncooper7452]

Wow, that looked like hard work Ben. You'll soon have enough rocks and stones to build a new outbuilding, or shed!

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Haha oh we have many stones to be building with, they seem to be multiplying by the day! 🫣

[@kentishbunyip6081]

Well done, such hard work you do! The soil from the stony area must be very fertile after decades of slurry on it. It would make fantastic veg beds, or, how about spreading it in a light layer over the grass. You've got enough land to take at least some of it surely (although it would take a lot of work raking it about - get the kids on the case, haha). If you spread it very loosely, the grass will grow through it, like when you top dress a lawn. Looks awful to begin with but very beneficial in the long run. I'm always jealous of people with excess soil ☺, we keep having to buy in compost........ Can't wait to see how it progresses.

[@kentishbunyip6081]

Duh, I've just read the comment below suggesting something similar....

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Hi and thanks for watching, commenting and reading comments :-) At the moment we think we will live with a large single pile of soil so we don't end up using it up and needing to buy some in in the future when we do finally get around to sorting planting etc as that would be soul destroying wouldn't it. We managed to put some down on the edges of the land and in between some trees but now amassed another big pile just from Dawn clearing the bottom of the wall. Hopefully with the nicer weather finally here, things should move a little bit quicker, we will see though. Thanks for watching and commenting :-)

[@karelpetrnek3688]

123 / 5 000 Hi there, simply beautifully done job. Gradually go through the ivy pile with a wood chipper as well. Keep it up and cross my fingers.

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Thank you 🤩 the Ivy pile is shrinking a little but not fast enough so yeah some chipping will be in order!

[@TheJuliadesigns]

I wonder if the little hole in the wall was a chicken door? If they kept chickens in the outbuilding they might have let them out there.

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Oh how I love that idea!

[@stan525]

you need a stone crane. semi portable use to lift the stones to move or restack the old building wall and save your back. see it on Botanic video 4 months ago. is a good example

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Thank you for the tip I will have a look at that. 😊 just found the video to have a proper watch later. Liking the idea though, so thank you. 😊

[@alanlucas2886]

love you pair mad as hell

[@thecornerhouseproject]

We do our best hahahaha

[@kategreen-adarkcarnival6747]

Fantastic guys as always. Felt for you Ben, moving those stones! Just take your time both and work at your own pace, don't worry too much about the videos. Work like this is by its nature, going to be slow. Keep getting the time out/self care in too!! Kate xx

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Thanks Kate. He was determined to lift them, I did offer but we decided two people in a confined space trying to pick them up in time probably wouldn’t have worked lol. Dropping down to one video a week has made it a lot easier to get on with more little jobs that have needed doing for a while and it also allows for some slow it down days too which is lovely. 🥰

[@lynettepacella9880]

I love the stone work! Amazing what you guys have accomplished! ✌🏻💞😊

[@thecornerhouseproject]

It’s beautiful isn’t it, it’ll be amazing once we get the larger building repaired and a roof back on it, with the added bonus of being able to use it as storage too! Yay!🎉

[@cynthiabruns7178]

What a difference you’ve made since you moved there. You need to pause and rewatch the early vlogs, just to keep reminding yourselves of how far you’ve come. It all looks great to me. I had to smile when you said you’ve missed the planting window…here in Ontario we can expect frosts until early June, one year l lost tomatoes twice, the second time was the first week of June. The wall Dawn cleared would look lovely with sunflowers growing against it.

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Just the other day actually I watched some of the early ones, especially the first walk around of the house after completing the sale and I was amazed at how different everything looked back then. The land is the biggest transformation so far, looking back at what that looked like in the beginning is an eye opener for sure! Wow June for a frost! That’s crazy! We should think ourselves lucky here then lol ahh yes, sunflowers would look great over by the wall, it’s a great spot for them too as it gets so much☀️there ❤️

[@lindahill9215]

Please be careful, you can hurt your back. Looking good😊

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Hi Linda, thank you for watching and commenting. Sadly I was a manual handling trainer in a previous life so always try to lift with my legs and not my back when at all possible. Even then, I still felt the weight of the stones as I lifted them. For now, they can stay there out of the way haha. Thank you again :-)

[@babs2522]

Hi Dawn and Ben, sorry I didn't get back to you last week, but I was in a lot of pain and could not think lol, I had my last 2 teeth removed, so just call gummy babs haha. I just love to watch your progress and wish I be there with you and helping, I do love to get stuck in lol, love and blessings to you both from Scotland xx

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Hi gummy Babs, how are you doing now? That doesn't sound great, hopefully you are all better now. Hopefully progress with things will move along a little faster now that the digging (or D-Word as another commenter called it) is done with for now. Time to start some drainage, plumbing (again) and some lime work. Thank you so much for joining us and being a channel member :-)

[@babs2522]

@@thecornerhouseproject I'm still in a bit pain but nothing I can't handle lol I can't wait for the next stage and thank you for sharing your journey, love and blessings from gummy babs in Scotland xx

[@neutonrenda2303]

It's a massive amount already done, you also have to choose your battles lol. If you leave the huge pile from the ivy for now, it may be a good compost when you start your raised beds in future.👍

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Yeah you’re probably right, I just wish we had somewhere to “hide” it though whilst it composts down 😂

[@Mitch-Hendren]

Great video as usual .very impressed with both of you . That was a lot of lifting and moving digging and levelling. And the stawbs are out . Ill bring the cream .😛 Looking forward to next week . 👍👍👍👍

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Thanks Mitch. It was a fair bit of grunting and huffing but hopefully that is the heavy ones out of the way now, we will see. It isn't even the size of them, the weight of the small ones is bad enough, the larger ones are a killer. (As you will know). Oooh, speaking of cream.... I bought us a Feast ice-cream each today, sadly there was only three in the shop, so we couldn't get you one, sorry :-( See you soon :-)

[@Mitch-Hendren]

@@thecornerhouseproject they the ones that were recalled by SuperValu and Dunnes for having bits of metal in em ?

[@Mitch-Hendren]

Its okay they were Magnum's...im too tight to buy them . Who'd have thought being miserable could save yer life 😋😋

[@lizetteolsen3218]

Well, regardless of where you started, it has begun. You have made a strong 1st attempt at clearing away doing some back-breaking work. Be careful of trying to haul those big ones--back injury is forever. The land is starting to look like a proper construction site, too. The work you have completed in the back area is nothing short of remarkable.

[@thecornerhouseproject]

It really has begun! We’ve been looking forward to getting that cleared for months and the day has finally arrived! Yeah I think rolling them is going to be the best way forward for some of those big ones. We’re so pleased with how it’s looking out the back, still muddy but to have it all flat is blooming lovely, it has felt like we’d never get there but it’s finally getting there!

[@dorygeancunningham8027]

Well, I for one am going to say moving those stones was not a bit of a thing. I am so impressed with your lifting abilities Ben, although my knees are hurting just watching…lol. The cuts were so smooth from you backing out with the wheelbarrow to coming back, that the first time I was like how’d he do that…then my brain clicked in. Remembering what the ally looked like originally to what you’ve competed this week is amazing! Are you two planning to remove the tree that fell into that building or will it cause more damage to remove it? It just seems to look like it will prohibit drainage, but you can never tell with just a video look. I started my raised beds and I too was unable to get anything planted, so, I tell my self, well at least it’s ready for next year. Who knows I may get some late plants in next month but there will be no time this month. Will your son take over the kitchen garden ? He seems to have a green thumb…or is he the Doctor, because his little greenhouse looks like a TARDIS. See ya next Saturday!

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Hello Dory, sorry to hear that you have missed your planting time but you are right, it is ready for next year. A commenter said we are OK to still plant so we will see what we can do. Not being green fingered though it isn't high on our list of things to do. Those few stones were certainly heavy and can stay where they are for now haha. We won't be moving them on a whim I don't think. Pleased you liked the editing, a do like a bit of fancy stuff from time to time and it lets you see the same stuff happening but from a different angle. Not sure Luka will take over the garden kitchen but he does like the grow things. It is only a tiny thing really, not sure what we will do if the cucumbers do well. He does seem to have growing stuff sorted. Have a nice week and we will see you Saturday :-) Thank you as always Dory.

[@karenashworth5743]

Hello Dawn and Ben, if I were you I would have a bonfire to get rid of all those roots. The Ash can be used on the land . It's looking good though x

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Sadly bonfires are against the law in Ireland now, from Jan 2023, even for farmers. But there is a bonfire night in June we will be celebrating :-)

[@drumminghands6356]

Loads of heavy stones ❤

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Yeah so many and even more in the large outbuilding from when the small outbuilding was all cleared out. Anyone would think we just like to move really heavy stones lol Thank you for watching and commenting :-)

[@MARIOCABU]

Hi Dawn and Ben, es un gusto verlos nuevamente. Gran trabajo esta semana, aunque duro y pesado. Felicitaciones, cada ves se ve mejor. Los acompaño con un ☕, por acá ya hace bastante frío. Best regards.

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Hi Mario and thank you 😊 Yes, one day we will not have too much hard and heavy work to do but that day has not arrived just yet! 😂 Where abouts are you for it to cold?

[@neutonrenda2303]

It might have been a deeper trench area with larger stepping stones, thinking of how the previous owners commented?

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Yeah it’s quite possible, we’ve taken a break from for a bit but will get back to it and fingers crossed we will find out. 😘

[@neutonrenda2303]

When I bought a fixer upper many years ago I had huge stones to move as well. The day I started my new neighbour decided that I had to have bought the place to tackle it and came over to introduce herself. It was that heavy.😂❤

[@thecornerhouseproject]

🤣 They’re the kind of weight that you don’t appreciate until you try lifting them aren’t they?! Did the neighbour help though? 😂

[@SweetOne.]

Just a tiny little backyard wood stove made with some of those stones and little by little that pile of vegetation will be burned to ashes (Hides from the anti fire pit crew). Well done! "we won't be digging" spots Dawn with a shovel digging lol. Love those Smiles!!

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Well a little bit caught fire the other day by accident and luckily it was the quantity of smoke which filled the sky that made me realise it was burning so we put it out because as you know, fires are not permitted here anymore ;-) Ah that wasn't digging, that was moving the little bit of dirt from the alley, the only thing we could find was that shovel thing, we don't know where it came from as we have never seen it before :-) Hopefully the alley will be clear "soon" and we can start getting rid of that soil and grass from around the house. Just in time for the summer sun to dry out the base of the walls. Thank you as always Janie and hope you are both well :-)

[@SweetOne.]

@@thecornerhouseproject I sent you an email on the back yard round pit thingy - there is a short video and I think you have a laugh at it too. Do you know the cause of the fire? I had a compost pile catch fire once. The fire dept told me I was supposed to be airing it and turning it as they heat up in the middle when decay starts. I noticed after that, that compost bins have holes in the sides for poking sticks in to air the compost. Doesn't matter if they are open piles or in bins the compost has to be turned over/mixed. The moss in your compost could be causing a peat fire?

[@chrisdavies6272]

Hi Dawn & Ben, just a few words for the wise, it may seem likè youve a lot of time with summer months but its surprising how quickly it goes, you may want to think about getting the roofs on the outbuildings before Autumn and the rains come as you are going to be needing space undercover to be shifting things about from pillar to post. Like you said Ben " A to E" doing a great job guys, it looking great 😂

[@chrisdavies6272]

I would love to come over to give a helping hand in the summer! Is this something you may entertain? I am self sufficient as I have a small motorhome, let me know 🤗

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Hi Chris, I’m hoping to start the outbuildings in the next couple of weeks, but I am going to be slow I would think but fingers crossed I am quick enough to not be encroaching into Autumn before we can get the roof back on. It’ll be great to get it fixed up to finally be able to use it properly. It’ll be a massive help to being able to do things in the house more easily with somewhere to store stuff. Wow what a really kind offer and very much appreciated, we think we should be alright for this year with getting things under control but as things to do have a habit of going not quite as we planned if you send us an email [e-mail] and then we’ve at least got some way of getting in contact with you, if you’re still available then. Thank you again for such a lovely offer ❤️

[@jenniferjackson6535]

Wow! Great work! Can you use some of the large flat rocks as a cobbled courtyard? With sand in between the cobbles?

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Hi Jennifer. We are keeping an open mind with the stones at the moment but they would certainly make a nice flat area somewhere. It is a great idea so thank you :-) Have a nice week ahead :-)

[@mocarra100]

Hercules! Wow those were some huge heavy stones. Great video much love from Oklahoma USA Jackie 🇺🇸💖

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Hi Jackie, how are you this week? Oh yes, they are some weight, I couldn't even guess to tell you how heavy. Have a lovely week ahead :-)

[@suzannegerstner2841]

Wow Ben! Really moving those stones, I felt your legs and back across the ocean.😲 Consider getting a rock dolly - yes that is a thing. You will have a great investment with all the rocks you are moving. But the newsflash that Ben had a plan!🤣😂 I am wondering if your priority before moving any more stones out of that alley is to maybe point and stabilize the side walls so that one side doesn't come crashing in on you. Perhaps some sideways acro props with boards against between the walls after repointing them. I may have nightmares of you being smashed. Its just a suggestion to consider. Remember you are destabilizing areas not disturbed in a very very long time. Also using a back belt so you don't give your self a hernia or out your back. Dawn amazing job clearing that bottom of that building out and getting in there with the camera- we can see your vision! A plan is coming together bit by bit. Consider also using trench drains, either bought or self casted in concrete with grates so you can walk over (and be able to clean if debris/leaves/trash gets in it. and direct the water running through not to enter the side buildings. Loving the lil garden and new voice (your son?)- we heard ya- great job! Big fan of the plants, saw your new evergreen too! 🌲Someone is chiping like a pro now, "just gonna take care of this one pile"..you no sooner clear it and she has it filled with never ending dirt. LOL! One day you will have to catalog all of the birds varieties that have come and visited, with their pictures and the time of year, that would be a great wrap up on a week where you couldn't be doing the work you wanted. I am enjoying your channel and thanks for sharing your hard work and we can all see such improvements over time. 😁😁😃

[@thecornerhouseproject]

I felt a couple of them too but can't feel anything today, which is nice. We will have to have a look at sac trucks but ideally with larger wheels from this stony ground. I know, I had a plan and what is more... it actually worked hahaha. Most of the wall is leaning away from us and to be honest, I think if we put any force, even a small bit, it may push the wall over. What you don't see on the videos is when we check for any new movement in the wall or the stones on the top, it would make a bit of a mess of me if one was to fall. In the past and funnily enough just today, when we were out the front today, we were talking about the best way to move the water which runs towards the front of the house and although I call it driveway drainage, that is the best solution we can come up with if we can't dig down to make a French drain. It may also be in out interest to just move the water there and then instead of it having to sink through gravel and then a perforated pipe before flowing around the house. I never though about forming one ourselves though and may be a perfect solution. Hopefully we will know our options when we have the soil and grass removed from the front, sides and back (the back being harder as we have 3 IBC's sat there. Anyway, then running along the house side of the outbuildings would be a perforated pipe to catch water from the now gravelled drive area. It is all a step by step process as because it is us, we can't just be on hard ground you can dig, it had to be a huge rock formation 6" down lol. Yep, Luka got the camera and later said... Oh, I filmed the new greenhouse thing, you can use it if you want to, so of course it was used. The tomatoes are coming on well, the strawberries need planting and hopefully the cucumbers will come to something. Hopefully we can get some more stuff growing, even just to be able to grow it more than keeping us fed over the winter. We may need a bigger greenhouse haha. Never ending dirt is right. It would have been such a shame for Dawn to have cleared all of that wall and be left with a huge pile of soil again. It now means we can work on that area bit by bit and when the weather allows. We learned of a new bird yesterday(Friday) which is the Grasshopper Warbler - kzbin.info/www/bejne/ppy7eIKKeZmeiqc not hard to see why it has it's name. Arrived not long ago with the Cuckoo and Swallows. Hopefully we will finish the smaller jobs quite quickly and can get on to the larger stuff like the outbuilding and drainage. Thank you as always for watching and commenting :-)

[@RobertEdward-y7b]

I think you need to hire a small digger to move the stones and dig the French drain along the side of the house and down the alley to the ditch then you could do that in a day or so at most and your back will say thank you for the rest of your life .

[@thecornerhouseproject]

A small digger would be nice for the stones but as for digging a French drain it wouldn't help. The house is built on Bedrock which is about 12" below the soil, that is when it isn't sticking out the top of the ground already. Have a look at this video where they were installing the electric pole. The cost of that digger for a day may be a little high for us. kzbin.info/www/bejne/j6eZi6ytmMSqgs0si=Dn8i896ldKCB46aE&t=369 Thank you for watching and commenting and thinking about our backs :-)

[@RobertEdward-y7b]

@@thecornerhouseproject so does that mean you have to use a jack hammer to dig the drain

[@pennylane9730]

Hi Ben and Dawn.. First got ask what is name of music in background .. It touches my heart I'd love to know.. Brilliant workers both..

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Hi Penny It is called Exhale by Jeremy Blake. It can be found on the KZbin audio library, but a Google will find it for you but the link is below. kzbin.info/www/bejne/i5u3qWBqp5ajadk

[@claudebernardin1096]

My take on that alley: before watching video: it’s an ancient stone walk through. I’m betting cobbled path. Big huge stone at end. Is upended due to erosion, tread stair stone. Probably another. I’m not convinced it’s a good idea to drain rain water through foundations of buildings. Can’t you simply make the channel go straight to yard side?

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Hi Claude. Depending on what we find and how deep it goes will determine if we just have a channel or maybe even a square gutter. We won't be going below the foundations like the other buildings. There is so much bedrock around though we wouldn't be surprised if that shows up too. Cobbles would be nice, we will see. Thanks for watching and commenting :-)

[@johnoneill5812]

Ben, I could feel the strain of moving those stones from 5000 miles away. On the bright side, you have no shortage of stone and rock when it's time to repair the walls of the outbuildings. The plan for draining water away from the house makes sense and should help with keeping the house dry and cozy. Hope you don't get too professional with your videos; informality is part of the fun:) Best regards.

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Good afternoon John, how are you doing? There were a few which made me pant a little bit and how I listed a couple I will never know. It is really important that we get the soil and grass from all around the house for the, as you say, dry and cosy, but with the water even from the temporary channels Dawn did months ago, it just sits in the gap we are clearing and takes days before it stops tricking out. So we though it best to give the water a clear escape route before adding more to it. Professional, said with tongue in cheek haha. I don't think we could ever be professional if we tried. It is what makes us, us :-) Thank you as always John and hopefully soon you won't feel too much more straining from 5000 miles away :-)

[@juliam9214]

don't give up you are doing a great job. 😊😊

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Thank you! He did a good job with moving a lot of those stones. Had a day off today from the lifting though, which was well earned I think 😂

[@simonworthington2529]

Better stock up on your Snickers , Mars bars and Red Bull for moving those boulders and mind your back as dont want a close shave . Backs are for life if injured. Getting a fair bit done i must say and looking great. Very glad your rolling them beasts of blocks and are heavy. Better have steel toecaps boots on. Take 2 Ibrufen for your back. Nice one Ben as i was thinking of your shaver. 😂 😂

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Well we are waiting for you to message me and say "Is it OK if I pop over one day next week and give you a hand, I will bring the Snickers, Mars bars and Red Bull" hahaha. Sadly I was a manual handing trainer in a former life so bent legs and straight back is always on my mind. Not always possible but I do my best. Dawn has some toecap Dr Martins and I just try and keep my toes out of the way. Mine are a good quality boot though, but they won't win against these stones. Yeah I really do need to find my other shave. Cheers Simon, as always :-)

[@simonworthington2529]

@@thecornerhouseproject I have done in my back 40 years ago and never over it . Keep safe and no funny business now.

[@sharonheron7559]

Well done on getting through some back breaking work! Videos with bitsa this and bitsa that are interesting too. Loved the cat in the wheelbarrow ❤

[@thecornerhouseproject]

They are always into everything! They absolutely love it out there tearing around at break neck speeds and then launching at a tree! It’s nice doing bitsas’ we’re getting lots of things done that we haven’t been able to up until now it’s great and the bonus is you still find it interesting too win win 🎉

[@benitacope7797]

Why didn't you roll the bigger stones down to the end instead of lifting them

[@thecornerhouseproject]

The really heavy ones were rolled from the end. It was shown towards the end of the video.

[@sylvanaire]

At 12:02 mark, I’m yelling at my screen telling you to go get Dawn for help, lol. I watch 1 channel where the person is all alone and has no assistance, so I think if you have help you should use it/her!😜 The gravel would probably be a good idea to cover that courtyard to level it out and to provide drainage and a clean, solid surface to walk on. But the way you’re set up there. It looks like you’d have to have the gravel dumped on the side of the road or in your driveway and transport it 1 wheelbarrow at a time, so it certainly wouldn’t be an easy or fast job, but it would be lovely when it’s done. 😅 If you’re not going to get to your raise beds or do anything with those dirt piles this year, I would suggest covering them with a tarp to keep weeds from growing in them this year, and it’ll be easier to manage when you are ready to start planting. Just my 2¢!

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Well Sylvanaire, we like your 2¢ very much, thank you for a great comment. It seems you have pictured the layout of our house, land and outbuildings and where we could have gravel dropped before the long task of one barrow at a time. Each time the top layer of soil dries out, I plan on raking it down to get it lower, and then rinse and repeat each time it is easier to rake and move. Doing this will get it low enough to see the bedrock pool which just sits constantly wet. Once this is empty of soil we can look at making it drain away (breaker, big drill, who knows) You are right though, it will be lovely once done. A big ongoing area we think. Dawn did offer her help but they are so heavy and compact, I think we could have done each other more damage than good trying to move them together so I thought it better to do it on my own. Thank you so much again for your 2¢ :-)

[@jmck6320]

I can emphasise!

[@thecornerhouseproject]

For such a small lump they are so heavy. How they lugged them around to build houses all day is beyond us. Thanks Jim :-)

[@rosannehart7325]

After watching you remove the stones in the corridor, I needed a very hot bath and a nap. Kudos to both of you for all the hard work. You must be exhausted. What are you going to do to get rid of the ivy beside the neighbours outbuilding? Also have you any plans to cut down more of the oak tree beside the last outbuilding? I hope you have a great week.

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Hi Rosanne, thanks for watching and commenting :-) It is more the while we do it it is hard work but we do tend to sleep well haha. Bonfire night for the big ivy pile, (which is of course why we have saved it) as you can no longer have bonfires in Ireland, not even the farmers. Well that Oak tree which I said I think it is may actually be a really old Ash, but the colour of the wood we have cut through does look like Oak to me. We will have to see if the plant app can identify it. You have a nice week too Rosanne, thank you :-)

[@antsquirly7654]

You'll need to ask some farmer if you can borrow his plow team. Oh, what a lovely rock wall I'd build with all that. Things are looking a whole lot drier these days.

[@thecornerhouseproject]

There’s some beautiful stones dotted around the place, well actually tonnes and tonnes of them 😂 once the outbuildings are all nicely fixed up I’m sure we will get to use some of them around the land. It is looking and feeling so much drier, still muddy but at least we aren’t sinking in it quite so much! Lol

[@TomMaxwell-g1x]

doing great guys and the courtyard looks massive now , gonna have to get down soon with my Camera if you have cuckoos lol heard a few in the distance this year but not seen any yet

[@10928rob]

Well done, it looks like a lot of hard work with those stones. be careful and don't go doing your backs in. xxx♥

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Yeah they are some monsters Pa! Still quite a few in there too. It amazes you how these building were constructed all those years ago with how heavy they are. I think the rest may just be crowbarred and rolled out lol and left where they lay! 🤣 xxx

[@10928rob]

@@thecornerhouseproject ❤️❤️❤️

[@alanlucas2886]

hi dawn and ben

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Good evening Alan, how are you today?

[@alanlucas2886]

@@thecornerhouseproject im ok thankyou missing your post tho how my name sake lol

[@janetwann5578]

Piling all that dirt at the base of those trees might rot the bottom of the trees

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Hi Jane The original plan was to put it at the base up against the sheets of metal but we changed our mind and piled it about 4ft away. The Alder tree, like the one apple tree already has holes in it we I found when I was cutting the ivy off it. Where the soil is now is quite well drained. Thanks for watching and commenting :-)

[@maura423]

I like watching the bits of work as much as the big projects! It inspires me to tackle the cleanup in my own life, haha Would it be possible to redirect the main path through the driest spots of the courtyard and create a wetlands garden in the soggy parts?

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Thanks Maura, sometimes it is hard to be doing things which are a large project, so the smaller things need doing. Dawn getting to the bottom of the soil on that building was a brilliant job done and lovely result, it just needed to be finished (for now). Clearing the alley means we can get on to the house side of things by clearing the soil and grass that remains around the house holding the rain. With that gone it will help the house stay dry and hopefully the water will run around the house. How funny, we have spoken about wetland plants in the rockpool area but it gets full sun all day as it is south facing. We are open the plants which like this type of sun though if you have any? :-) There is a nice patch along the ditch under the conifer and is in shade all day long, we though this would make a nice bog garden. Thank you for watching and commenting and enjoying the little bit of work :-)

[@maura423]

@@thecornerhouseproject I'm in the western US, where too much water is the opposite of my problems. Some plants that come to mind (because they're hard for me to grow!) are iris, joe pye weed, sedges, astilbe, dogwood, and swamp mallow.

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Ooh I love irises! Thank you for all those names I will have a Google of them. 😊

[@rontanser9369]

Could the farmer take your excess soil away to put on his fields?

[@thecornerhouseproject]

Good evening Ron, how are you? Although I am sure there is a corner of a field or something, all of the farmers we know are animal farmers and have grass fields for the cows and sheep and not crop fields. If there were crop fields I would be taking the barrow down in the dark of night and getting rid of it all one barrow at a time where it may not be noticed. Being animals, it may get noticed when a cow is stood on top of the pile 4ft higher than the hedgerow hahahaha. Thank you Ron for always commenting :-)

[@rontanser9369]

@@thecornerhouseproject thank you for asking I’m very well thank you, I hope you’re okay after moving those very heavy stones