Then only

The “Then” blog. For details see entry for March 7th 2009. In brief the restoration of Claonairigh House.
Sunday March 8th 1992

Beautiful day; Bright blue skies
Walked in Crarae gardens, spectacular rhododendrons and then to house. Discovered mains water-no cess pit. X2 trees near bridge will need to come down. Photographed interior.
Pm Garret and Peter found cess pit near the mill and identified mains water stop tap and source to house therefore the house has electricity, mains water and drains. Not bad for a derelict. G and P met the neighbours-very pleasant and knowledgeable. The house lived in until 1968 albeit by navvies working in the forest-all 25 of them. Several writers have found peace and quiet in Claonairigh House including one with one leg shorter than the other hence “Leany’s Walk”. The house was bought in 1958 for £7,000 from the Campbell estates. Some letters were subsequently found in the attics ceiling with valuable stamps worth £2-3000. The paddock at the rear of the house should make good growing. The forestry commission used it as a nursery for seedlings. The neighbour also assures us that there are no ghosts!!
(In 2008 we had the son of the people who bought the house then visiting as a guest, he said the stamps were not as valuable as that and that his parents returned to Devon when his mother became unwell)