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| Aqueduct Cottage by Brian Cass |
By the side of Cromford canal in Derbyshire is Aqueduct
Cottage, a derelict canal keeper’s cottage occupied until the late fifties or
early sixties.
The location is attractive, but there is no nearby road, no water,
sewage services, electricity or gas supply. In other words, the cottage isn’t
worthless because it is derelict, but derelict because by modern standards it
is has become worthless.
In bygone times, the canal keeper who lived in Aqueduct
Cottage would probably have used candles for lighting and logs from nearby
woods for cooking and heating. He may also have bought supplies from passing
boats and his water may have come from the nearby river. I don’t know about
sewage disposal though – the canal?
Now the boats are gone and picturesque as this mode of life
might be, it only appeals from the safe distance of modern comforts.
While out walking I’ve seen one or two derelict stone
cottages in a similar condition and with similar problems. They became derelict
because they are now worthless, not worthless because they are derelict.
It underlines how much the value of our homes depends on those essential services. Remove them and the value disappears as completely as it did for Aqueduct Cottage. Here it is in 1905 looking like a chocolate box idyll.
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| From Friends of Cromford Canal/Julie Simpson |
4 comments:
Every derelict cottage has a future if only the council involved would let people spend their hard earned money on renovation as I've found out several times.
Thud - this could easily be part of a heritage trail.
I would reckon that should be a cert for someone to renovate and cherish, but not in the terms of a TV rock-ape presenter's programme. It needs someone clever to cherish the building, and also, have a few more pounds to build in the drainage and the services as well.
I've always dreamed of doing some serious work to such a beautiful building. It seems that pressures from councils and authorities just stifle good honest work, and seeing the way our local council has just mucked up so many good ideas by their stupid ignorance, I'm afraid, that I don't have the patience, or - sadly - the money to give them a bloody nose any more!
There's a mill building in Cotherstone which just cries out for renovation, but never hold your breath, because there are little people involved...
Scrobs - I know what you mean, although this one is a problem because of the lack of a road.
The painting shows how it was in the eighties but it doesn't look so good now. It may be saved with heritage money, but I don't see much hope for it otherwise.
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