The Bridges of Radford County

    In May of 2012 there will be a little extra excitement at RMF (Radford Mill Farm) , when we will be hosting our first wedding party of the season, with 200 people attending. The event will take place on Goose Meadow, close to the river and Radford Mill and will involve a pig roast and much merry making. The happy couple and their guests will be spending most of the day enjoying the the peaceful scenery we have to offer and if the weather cooperates, the flowers will look lovely.

    Our guests often arrive by car and we provide parking in a field on the opposite side of the river from the meadow. In the past they have then had to walk around from the car parking field to the meadow, via the lane and the farmyard but this isn’t ideal. Avoiding the mud and machinery of a working farm yard can be challenging in a wedding dress, not to mention avoiding the killer kittens that will soon be our new vermin control security team. To solve this problem we are currently creating a bridge to span the river, using laminated wood. Here are a few pictures to show the early stages of the construction.

The jig

    The jig took 2 days to complete with lots of careful measuring and will provide a framework which all the laminated planks will be made on.

Dribbling Glue

    The design of the bridge was aimed at producing a blade-like structure that is strong and long lasting and the 4 layers of planks are fixed together with screws and glue.

First Plank Fixed to the Former

    We hope to create a slender and graceful arch, using natural materials where possible, that fits in with our organic ethos and once finished, the pedestrian access to Goose Meadow will be much improved. Lets hope Jim the river troll, likes his new roof! Watch this space for more on this project soon.