Ground clearance

There's a lot to do, not least to organise the services, tender for a builder, commission a road contractor to build up the lane etc etc. However, we made a start with some ground clearance. For me this meant the opportunity to give way to my inner pyromaniac and have a giant bonfire!  This was fairly easy to do as there is an established bonfire corner and a row of conifers to take down. Having said that, we didn't manage to remove any of the conifers completely so there is plenty of scope for bonfire building. We barely scratched the surface of the work to be done, but it was such a joy to make a start after so much talking about it.

The barns are situated on the edge of Golden Valley and overlook the Midland Railway Centre and the English Heritage listed monument of Butterley and Cromford Canal. The Midland Railway Centre is particularly busy this time of year with Santa Specials so the sound of steam trains chuff chuffing is a backdrop noise to barn life.