Progress

Our Artful Adventures, Stroll through the Hood prompt today is: progress. So I thought I would share with you the progress pictures hanging in the entrance to Penicuik House. They show how the house has now been preserved and stabilized. There is a long-term plan in place (till 2035) to restore and/or preserve other features of the Designed Landscape, some of which has already been done (such as the Roman Bridge).

The house burned down in 1899 and there weren't enough funds to re-build it so the Clerk family moved out to the Stable Block and the remains of the house went to wreck and ruin. In fact I can remember how it looked the first time we visited with trees and shrubs coming out of the walls as you can see on some of the pictures shown. 

I also remember that gigantic crane that was needed to do the work on the house. At that time we didn't come there as regularly as now because our previous dog hated going anywhere in the car.

Most of the work on the site is being done by volunteers and it will be interesting to see the work progress. I do hope though that they will leave the landscape much as it is. It's a designed landscape but after so many years it looks entirely natural. Fallen trees have been left in place and get claimed by nature and trees and shrubs self seed at will. It means that the landscape has a very romantic feel to it and I hope that can be preserved.

Will we still be around in 2035 to see the work completed. Who knows?! All I can say is that I love going there as often as possible and every time we're walking around I find more beauty to enjoy and photograph.