Colombage walls

Evening all.
The amateur continues his battle with renovations.
Has anybody done any old colombage wall repairs? I have some internal colombage as well as one external rear wall. Some of the internal sections had been partially demolished as a home improvement plan by our predecessors, (apparently they have now been sectioned), I experimented by reconstituting the clay horsehair lime mix and blimey, my repairs are way better than my expectations. I now have other internal and external sections to repair but no old stock to reuse. I have been told that with the lime and straw/horse hair mix clay is better/superior to just using plain old mud. So there is the question, have you used mud, dug from the garden (not topsoil) and if clay is the stuff to use where would I locate it?
If anyone can help I promise not to use the S word for ages(well hours)

Hi Stinky1207 (Just as a matter of interest, what happened to the previous 1206 Stinkies?)

I don't know whether you watched a recent "Grand Designs" programme, in which a cob wall specialist was building a huge house & barn for himself. Having read your question, I am wondering whether there are similarities between colombage & cob techniques. This guy simply used the clay that he dug from the garden and mixed it with straw.

I assume that builders in days past would not have wanted to import clay from any distance; indeed the process of building in this way would have developed because the materials were literally on the doorstep. Apparently the trick with cob building is that, once put in place, the material must be compressed (by any means available) to squeeze out any air pockets. It would be interesting to know if you live in a area where the sub-soil is clay. If so, I can see no reason why you shouldn't use it.

Clay sets like concrete once it's been left to dry out and this is one of its inherent qualities in such building techniques. It is also, of course, very sticky and hence will adhere to both itself and many other surfaces. Personally, I think it's fascinating and I am envious of the opportunity to try it!

They're all still here, just waiting...Tomorrow, the world!
Thanks for the reply, Tocvy. Missed the programme, but now holes are going to be dug and I'm going to have a bash. Reult reply to be posted asap.
If I dig the holes close enough together I may yet get that pond Senior Management said no to. 

Don't know where you are, Stinky, but clay can usually be found near to rivers...