Water Tower and Cottage Pre Conversion

Lots of folks have been commenting on the water tower and cottage conversion of 20 + years ago. Here are the buildings when we purchased them in 1989. Isn't the flat roof box extension on the cottage truly awful. The boarded up windows on the cottage didn't do a lot for the state of the building at the time. Add in paraffin heaters, chip board covers on the original interior doors and external asphalt paving covering the damp proof course layer and its a wonder this cottage survived.

Harry Potter Steps

These steps were created on the steep slope this last year. It has taken me 'til now to work out how to attach this photo because it was taken by a professional photographer called Nigel Rigden. I'm sure he won't mind having this picture used on this blog site. Are these steps not truly something out of a Harry Potter scene? I walk them most days and it kinda compensates for not walking up and down the water tower steps these days!

The steps link to the access steps created previously down to the top of the very steep edge. It was a mammoth task to create the access (thanks to Mick and Niall) but now we have safe and secure access for planting. In this last month, 6 more quite large Cherry trees have been planted and 6 new small Aspen. Now Aspen is native although not that common. It has been planted some distance away at the most precarious section at the base of the "run off" area. I reclaimed the ground here by shovelling the loose soil from the slope to create a flattened section capable of holding plants. I gather Aspen will proliferate by runners and some tell me it will take over. If it sends out a lot of root growth then that will be good for the bank. If this blog is being read by the next owner of the woodland then I apologise if you are thinking of tree surgery now because this has been a mistake. I'm hoping the beauty of the Aspen bark will compensate for any take over, and surely in my lifetime it will create a lovely screen of trees to the park below. If the Midlothian Council tree officer is reading this then be prepared.

Now when I was in Florida I came across this. I wonder where the inspiration for the access steps came from?

Published in SWOG

http://www.swog.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/NL-Nov2011-final.pdf

SWOG the Small Woodland Owners' Group have published the first of 2 articles that I prepared. I'm not sure its my best prose but I am keen to get my message out to woodland owners who might have issues with planning permission.

This monthly newsletter is very interesting apart from my own contribution. All woodland and wildlife lovers will find something interesting I'm sure.

27th Dec 2011
Susan