So, here we are - day one of lockdown two. It sort of feels appropriate that, by happenstance, this is also the day I'm writing what may be my last post for Wreck of the Week.
You'll have noticed there's been a gap since the last one. Indeed some of you have already emailed to check in on me (thank you, that was lovely of you) and others have wondered whether this site you'd only just discovered was still operating. It had been, for ten years and with almost six million page views and thousands of regular readers - many of who have sent me the most amazing property finds of their own.
But this year has just been a bit too much - for me and so many of us. I was finding it harder and harder to carve out the time and generate the energy to update 'Wreck'. Like others, "lockdown" for me has meant more work; it's been pretty full-on since February and won't ease off this year. And in my close family, a divorce, two diagnosis of terminal cancer, and multiple house moves, have sliced up the year. So 'Wreck' is being sidelined. I hope not forever, but this isn't the time for promises.
But it is the time for dreaming. And I'm going to sign off with a big bunch of properties, all of which have that something special that has defined my Wreck picks for so many years.
First, this "money pit" (as reader Kath described it) between Creetown and Carsluith, towards the west coast of Scotland. Grade B-listed and on Scotland's Property at Risk register, The Glebe is not a property for do-uppers - you'll need more than matching hard hat and wellies to tackle this one.
But boy is it handsome. At least on the outside...
It comes with just under five acres of land, mostly forest, backing towards a rather lovely quarry - with the quarry itself and more land also available for sale separately (that could become an issue depending on who buys it...), and its own private access track. Yummy.
On the market through Galloway and Ayrshire Properties at offers around £165k. Details here and pdf here.
And this one, also in Scotland, I'm late to the table on (despite having had a tip-off from another Kath three weeks ago). The Linn (above) in Helensburgh is a seven-bedroom, B-Listed villa with three acres of fabulous botanic gardens, plunge pool, separate holiday cottage and other buildings, at offers over £295k, via Savills.
It's already under offer (hopefully by the community, or someone as committed to the gardens as Dr Jim had been) but is so gorgeous I'm posting it in any case. So we can all look at the pictures and daydream "what ifs...". Pictures here and here. Oh, and here's Dr Jim - another gentle soul lost.
