“Wuthering Heights” in 1989.
The plans passed through Clare and Gilbert Valley Council without a hitch - with foundation specifications that would support a 12-storey building!
A mud-brick home was enthusiastically endorsed by all of us but considered feasible only if we could make the bricks ourselves. So when soil from four locations on the property was pressure tested and given the green light by Marleston Institute, the action began!
A panoramic view of the farm. Prior to purchase in 1983, it mainly grew wheat. A third of Wuthering Heights is now heritage-listed. It has never been cultivated or grazed animals.
Our first mud bricks! Exciting and good fun. We made our first bricks in March 1987 using a single mould made by Ted that was 2”x10”x6”. Each brick weighed 29lb and initial progress was four bricks a day!
From left: Penny, Gail and Tanika.
One brick soon became many, but only after a lot of trial and error. Looking suave and clean, Ted Nettelton surveys a weekend’s work.
Gail does it the slow, hard way, shovelling dirt through chicken wire to sift it.
We got smarter, though. Using the bedsprings of a double bed placed over a 6x4ft trailer as a sieve, and the small Kobota tractor to scoop up the dirt, followed by manual mixing (as Penny is doing here) we were able to push output to 50 a day and, by 1989, we could make 30 bricks in two hours.
Tents on the left for weekend helpers and an oversized cubby house were night-time retreats, while cooking took place over a camp fire. A weekend of mud-brick making at Wuthering Heights involved lots of sweat, dirt…and good, local red wine. We never had a shortage of volunteers!
Gail Nettelton, a hard worker!
Ted in the workhorse Mini Moke.
Meanwhile timbers were acquired and more bricks were made. The bricks were left to dry for three days, then turned. When they were completely dry it took at least 28 days to harden thoroughly then they were stacked.
Bad weather delayed the pouring of concrete a number of times but ultimately good ol’ Nunzo completed the job in a day in 1988. We suspended further work until winter was over. In the meantime we bought old jarrah sleepers, sash windows from demolitions sites, and other recycled items.
Gail and Beverley drilled holes with a hammer drill for dyna bolts.
Mud is a great medium for having fun with features like the curved windows in the kitchen and walk-in closet in the Charlotte Suite.
An inner wall of the house. The ladder is for access to the upstairs bedrooms.
Gail became an adept “brickie”.
South Australian regulations stipulate that the first three courses of bricks in a mud brick construction must be laid in burnt brick. This protects the mud brick from moisture absorption at ground level.
The timbers go up. The roof, rafters and iron were mainly handled by John Cragg and a few helpers. John was a multi-skilled tradesman who felt at ease with our family-orientated building methods and proved a great asset when we needed help and guidance.
Ted in the rafters.
Loyal workers and long-time friends, Matt Andrews and Tim Anson.
All five family members hard at work, starting with Penny....
.....Tanika......
.... Gail ....
.... Ted loading the generator into the Mini Moke ....
.... and Gail.
White ants are a hazard in the region. Today, a six-monthly inspection ensures that timbers aren’t affected like these, . They were left on the ground over winter and when needed were beyond use.
River red gum seems to be a favourite with white ants.
The Mini Moke was a great work-horse, used to ferry bricks from the various places on the property.
Progress is slow but steady.
From the moulds ....
.... to the rough-cast walls .....
.....
.... then rendered smooth with more mud.
We started a vegetable garden in October 1990 near the house.
The solar-powered lamp helped with the washing-up at night.
Gail and Beverley congratulate each other after laying another floor of second-hand tumbled brick.
Gail operating the 2 cubic metre concrete mixer plugged into the generator. Easy to operate, it saved a lot of back-breaking work. (Just don’t forget to clean it!)
Ted mixing the clay paint made by Grimes especially for mud brick walls.
Beverley reaching the top of a wall. It was hard work hefting those 29lb (13.1kg) bricks above one’s head for hours at a time!
Mud walls and stone walls were constructed while the garden was cultivated. The Clare Valley receives a lot less rain in 2018 than it did in the 1980s and 1990s.
Beverley, the day after torrential rain. It didn’t dampen a fantastic wedding at Wuthering Heights in 1995.
And with the hard work done, Wuthering Heights is a wonderful place to just enjoy its many moods.
Driving up the avenue in the middle of a hot summer’s day ....
is a vastly different experience to relaxing on the terrace a few hours later, enjoying the sunset and evening breeze,
Take a walk through the trees with a lantern.
For more than thirty years, Wuthering Heights has been a place where we’ve worked hard work, enjoyed the solitude, and created our own idea of the Good Life.
Bronte Manor
It’s been a fabulous, bonding family adventure with lots of parties, weddings and book launches.
