Progress has certainly been made in the last weeks, seeing the render removed from the Old Manse and pointing going well with a team of five in attendance. We are loving the look of the stone and posts on Instagram suggest many others do too. However, it is apparent that there remains a certain amount of concrete residue on the stone giving a lighter colour than the original. To that end we are trying to find a solution to cleaning the stone further without damaging the pointing that has already been applied.
Work has also started on the restoration of the windows. We particularly loved that the original sash windows were present (with one exception) and wanted also to restore the shutters as they were originally intended. The shutters in the Old Manse, like so many other buildings of that age, are pinned back and painted over so they are non-functioning.
Apart from an empty space where the window once was or the board that now replaces it I cannot show a particularly inspiring shot. The windows themselves are being taken back to a workshop for individual restoration. So a no-inspiring photo of the plywood now covering the hole left behind.
We continue to fight against nature (and midgies) to keep the garden at bay. Paths are cleared to where we intend to site the beehive(s) that have now been scheduled for later in July and the site is prepared for the Shepherd’s hut. Friends again visited with us this weekend and tackled ivy removal from the outbuildings reclaiming more of the stone – there is definitely potential to bring these buildings back to life. How and for what purpose has provided much debate already.
The building of the shepherd’s hut didn’t go to plan however. It became apparent as we started to plan the foundations having built the axles that either a component was missing or we were holding the wrong instruction sheet. The issue is yet to be completely resolved and I fear that now the I have the correct instruction sheet, there is still a part or parts missing. Frustrating to say the least, as this delays the construction of our temporary home. Again I don’t have an inspirational photo but I always said this would be an honest blog that recorded both the ups and downs.
So an early return to the rental home to deal with paperwork for the remainder of the week and try and resolve the error of parts. It made logistical sense to get out of the way of the professionals working on the house and the dust created from both jobs. I did have chance before I hurriedly left to take a few photographs in the garden and one of a particularly pleasing sunset, although it’s true magnificence cannot be truly reflected here. I will leave you with those….
Middle Age Musings 