Over the past couple of years, I have been closely following the restoration of a little cottage in Derbyshire. Why? Well, I came across it by accident one day, and I couldn't believe that it would ever be anything other than a complete ruin.
This is it. It's called Aquaduct Cottage, and it lays at the junction of the old Cromford Canal with a side arm that went out to a mill. The land around it once belonged to Florence Nightingale's family, and is now a Wildlife and nature reserve. It gets its' name from the fact that it stands at one end of the aquaduct that carries the canal over the River Derwent.
So totally ruinous, with trees growing up through the brickwork, no roof, and walls close to crumbling away, it appeared to be lost forever.
Yeah, right, I hadn't reckoned on the efforts of Mr. Ron Compton and his merry band of volunteers. Charitable donations have been sought, materials bought, and volunteers trained in the arts of stuff like old-fashioned lime mortaring.
Now? well, you wouldn't believe it. It nears completion, and the Nature Reserve will have its' own visitor centre, complete with a new staircase up into the heart of the wild wood, and gardens filled with native plants.
Who'd a-thought it?
Hopefully, I'll be able to visit it for myself next year. Meanwhile, a round of applause for all the hard work is due!
One Rachel has been following - as and when you come up this way let us know - we are only around the corner
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