Great big retaining wall

Because the house is built into the hill, we had to dig out a fair amount to build the extension which in turn means a fairly substantial retaining wall.  Now, this is just the sort of thing that slips your mind when you're doing this for the first time . . . . . just didn't even think about it (and certainly didn't budget for it!).  Anyway, rather than building a stone or blockwork wall, we decided to do it in the style of a silage clamp!!!  Hope it doesn't smell like one!  Using H-section steels as the posts and slotting sleepers in between.  The idea being that then instead of digging footings all the way along (you know my thoughts on digging) we would only have to dig post holes - well when I say we, I mean Bob (I've done my digging for a bit).

So, today we concreted in the first two posts and are waiting for them to set before we pop (!!!!!) the sleepers into place.  We managed to get some used sleepers that aren't soaked in creasote so they don't smell and they won't weep black goo whenever it's hot - they're made of an Australian hardwood.  If we planed them, they would look like mahogany - now how posh would that look with a polished mahogany retaining wall?  Bob also dug the next two holes , so more concreting tomorrow.  I've pointed round all the windows with lime mortar and built a little brick enclosure to hide where a cast iron down pipe goes into a bright orange drainpipe.  We also had coffee with some neighbours who are also renovating a cottage and barns and living in a caravan just down the lane.  So, all in all, a good day with stuff to show for it.