Tanks and Cisterns

A Renovation Journal

How on earth is October over already? Honestly, I don’t know what happened there!

The Oil Tank Drama

We started the month off with the drama of the oil tank. At the end of September, we lit the Aga and merrily filled the oil tank ready for the winter, only to find that the old tank had sprung a leak and our heating oil was dripping out. We quickly organised sand to soak up the drips and buckets to catch them, and then contacted Luke, our oil heating engineer. He was promptly booked to come and fit the new tank. Meanwhile, we had to drain the old one and move it out of the way so that the base could be prepared. This should’ve been simple, but of course it wasn’t. The pump we bought broke, we couldn’t find the right connectors or hoses, and it was all very frustrating, but we did get it done in the end. With the heating oil safely stored in a temporary tank, we set about clearing the area for the new base. We got Jonathan, our friendly digger driver, to level it. When we moved in, there was a huge Scots pine tree in this spot. It was beautiful but much too close to the house. We had the stump ground down, but we knew Jonathan wouldn’t be able to go too far down before hitting all the old tree roots. However, what we weren't expecting was a concrete slab that covered a tunnel entrance.

This was the site when we first moved in with the old oil tank and the huge tree

Cleared area and the hole. You can just see the slab at the back against the wall

After some investigation, it turned out to be a cistern that would have collected rainwater from the roofs. You can see the steel pipe that would’ve led to a hand pump in the scullery above. The soft rainwater was excellent for washing clothes. At that time, this house would’ve been fed water from a spring on the Wrekin hill, so any extra rainwater that could be collected was super helpful.

For now, the cistern is still there, and we’ve just covered it with the concrete slab again. Luckily, it wasn’t in the way of the new tank. I want to keep an eye on it over the winter and make sure the drains going into it are definitely disconnected. I don’t want to fill it in only to find it fills with water!

Anyway, after all that drama, the new tank went in super easily. We had a bit of bother getting the Aga to relight, but it’s all sorted now and the central heating is working. It’s still super expensive to run, so we don’t have it on very much, but it does take the chill off.

Stairs

I finally finished the stairs in the Estate Office. I ended up painting the risers a dark green and then Osmo oiling the treads. They were a bit rough with a few dents and gouges, so after sanding them down, I used a two-part resin to fill all the holes. It actually worked really well, and I’m pleased with how they turned out. I maybe should’ve gone dark with the bannister too, but it’s a bit complicated with how it meets the white woodwork at the top, and I couldn’t work out where to make the transition. So, I’ve kept it all white and I think that’s fine. I definitely didn’t want these stairs to be too dark, as they are on a north-facing wall.

Bathroom

Rather annoyingly, I’ve also had some work to do in the bathroom. This room was finished over a year ago, but then we had the window refitted, and the window surround and the wallpaper got messed up. This room also didn’t have a door for quite a long time, and I hadn’t gotten around to painting it. So, I had to go back and fix the wallpaper, touch up all the woodwork and paint the door. I also had to fix a tap as we’ve had trouble with grit in the pipes. It’s all done now, but I’ve got plenty to do without having to redo the same things over again!

Living Area

With the bedroom, stairs and bathroom sorted, it’s time to move onto the living room. James has done all the woodwork in here, so it’s time to move on to decoration. I’ve started by prepping the ceiling and sanding the beams. There’s quite a bit of filling and more sanding to do before I get to the painting stage.

Shopping

We’ve also had quite a bit of fun this month shopping for items of furniture for these finished rooms. We had a day out in Shrewsbury, where we didn’t actually buy anything, but we found a great shop that we will definitely be visiting again. I’ve also picked up a couple of things on Facebook Marketplace that will fit with the Victorian gentleman’s residence vibe I’ve got going on in the Estate Office. I’m hoping I don’t have to do too much to these pieces. Just a good clean and polish, and they should fit right in.

Healing

Thank goodness my leg seems to be almost better. I managed to get the big bandage off a couple of weeks ago, and I’m now in normal shoes, which is a huge relief. I’ll have some scars, and my lower leg has a bit of a dent in it now, but my ankle seems to be strengthening nicely, and I don’t really have any pain. If anything, the skin is a bit numb. I think I’m very lucky that functionally it’s good, and I can get back to doing everything I want to. Thank you to all of you who sent lovely messages and healing thoughts. They worked!

And so, onto November. Lots to do and plenty to look forward to. Wishing you a happy and healthy month :-)