We've been gradually creeping away from the original thread topic, but it was all part of the same overall project, which was the garden landscaping. While I have plans to extend the patio beside the house, the hawthorn path is the last major phase of work in the area that was the woodland. Other than some plants in the railway embankment, the hawthorn path will complete this area.
September 7th~15th
Over the end of August and the beginning of September, I was away at a World War 2 event, so didn't get back to the garden until the second week in September. With the last two pieces of sleeper fitted just before I went away, I was now moving on to the hawthorn path. I decided the best plan would be to pave the area behind the observatory first.
Starting here would give me access from my trailer hardstanding to get materials in. From the end nearest the new lawn, I could then work towards the railway, having a path under me as I worked down to the end. When that was done, I could turn around and work up the garden from the observatory, across the back of the trailer hardstanding and up behind the garage.
I started by clearing weeds and some roots, and cutting the earth back to approximately level. Due to the fall on the ground, the foundations would slowly need to step up towards the garage from behind the observatory. The foundations would need to step down heading the other way to the railway.
I didn't want to dig out and dispose of tons of topsoil, only to buy in tons of hardcore to replace it. Youtube to the rescue! I watch a video on paving which explained what civil engineering projects do, including Heathrow's Terminal 5. Rather than digging out earth and replacing it with hardcore, they use a machine to break up the existing earth, mix cement into it and then pack it down again. The same video then showed the same technique at a small scale for his garden path. His test sample was as hard as concrete.
Our soil has quite a lot of clay in it ( along with tree roots, stones, coal and bricks! ), and it is now quite wet and not easy to dig or mix. So I've spent the morning making a tool for my power drill!