Research: Landscape Dynamics: Soft Wall Capping Research Project
Soft Wall Capping: Image Gallery
Please Note: These images have been produced by Colin Burns, Alan Cathersides, Chris Wood and Heather Viles and if reproduced should be credited to 'English Heritage Soft Walls Capping Research Project'.
Wytham Woods Test Site (Question 1)
 Image 1.1: Cutting turf for the soft capping at Wytham Woods Sawmill (November 2008). |
 Image 1.2: Scaffolding erected on Wall 1 (West face) to install soft capping at the test site (November 2008). |
 Image 1.3: Wall 1 West face post soft capping (November 2008). |
 Image 1.4: Wall 3 West Face hard capped (November 2008). |
 Image 1.5: View from above of Wall 2 post soft capping (November 2008). |
 Image 1.6: Side view of the core of wall 4, photograph taken looking North (November 2008). |
 Image 1.7: Colin Burns drilling 40cm deep holes into the walls for installation of wooden dowels (March 2009). |
 Image 1.8: Wall 2 West Face after the guttering has been installed, the holes have been drilled for the wooden dowels and the trench has been partially backfilled (March 2009). |
 Image 1.9: Back filling the trench (March 2009). |
 Image 1.10: The test walls at Wytham (March 2009). |
 Image 1.11: Walls prepared for geoelectrics survey with electrode pads aligned along a centre line (April 2009). |
 Image 1.12: Wall 2 west face prepared for geoelectrics survey along the centre line of the wall (April 2009). |
Small Test Blocks (Question 2)
 Image 2.1: All test blocks before soft capping (February 2009). |
 Image 2.2: All test blocks after soft capping (February 2009). |
 Image 2.3: All test blocks two months after soft capping (April 2009). |
 Image 2.4: All test blocks four months after soft capping (June 2009). |
 Image 2.5: Shoots growing through the seeded mat with water retaining gel (March 2009). |
 Image 2.6: Sedums growing at the base of the sedum mat soft cap with water retaining gel (March 2009). |
 Image 2.7: Commercial turf without water retaining gel. The turf is starting to dry out where it is most exposed to the sun (March 2009). |
 Image 2.8: Sedum matting without water retaining gel two months after soft capping (April 2009). |
 Image 2.9: Commercial turf without water retaining gel two months after soft capping (April 2009). |
 Image 2.10: Seeded matting with water retaining gel two months after soft capping. The soft cap has been disturbed by mice (April 2009). |
 Image 2.11: Commercial turf with water retaining gel three months after soft capping (May 2009). |
 Image 2.12: Seeded matting (with water retaining gel) and sedum matting (without water retaining gel). |
 Image 2.13: Sedum matting with water retaining gel four months after soft capping. The sedums are flourishing and starting to flower. |
Godstow Nunnery Test Site (Question 3)
 Image 3.1: Godstow Nunnery. Photograph of the South wall, to be soft capped, looking North (February 2009). |
 Image 3.2: Section of the South wall of the Nunnery with scaffolding before soft capping (February 2009). |
 Image 3.3: Trial sections 1 and 2: Local turf cut from Wytham Woods Sawmill with and without water retaining gel (February 2009). |
 Image 3.4: Trial sections 3 and 4: Sedum mat with and without water retaining gel (February 2009). |
 Image 3.5: Trail section 5: Seeded mat without water retaining gel (February 2009). |
 Image 3.6: Trail section 7 and 8 (with sections 1-6 in the background): Commercial turf with and without water retaining gel (February 2009). |
 Image 3.7: Above view of all trail sections post soft capping (February 2009). |
 Image 3.8: Ground view (looking North-East) of all trial sections post soft capping (February 2009). |
 Image 3.9: Ground view (looking North-West) of all trial sections two months after installation (April 2009). |
 Image 3.10: Local turf with water retaining gel two months after installation (April 2009). |
 Image 3.11: Sedum mat with water retaining gel two months after installation (April 2009). |
 Image 3.12: Seeded mat without water retaining gel two months after installation (April 2009). |
 Image 3.13: Commercial turf without water retaining gel two months after installation (April 2009). |
 Image 3.14: Local turf with water retaining gel three months after installation (May 2009). |
 Image 3.15: Sedum mat without water retaining gel three months after installation (May 2009). |
 Image 3.16: Seeded mat without water retaining gel three months after installation (May 2009). |
 Image 3.17: Commercial turf without water retaining gel three months after installation (May 2009). |
 Image 3.18: Sedum mat with water retaining gel four months after installation (June 2009). |
 Image 3.19: Commercial turf without water retaining gel four months after installation (June 2009). |
 Image 3.20: Ground view (looking North-East) of all trial sections four months after soft capping (June 2009). |