After several weeks of plumbing work the hot water in the main wing is at last connected to the new biomass boiler.   This has meant getting rid of 2 immersion heaters, re-routing some original pipework and putting in a load of new pipes that run from the boiler house up to a huge new tank in the roof space  – and all the way back down again.

The house, as Ed puts it, is getting a bit ‘pipey’.   We tried to find the route of least resistance and managed to avoid any of the grand rooms – but some of the corridors are suffering.    It’s a perennial problem in old houses like this with lathe and plaster walls and lots of plaster mouldings.

This is the worst bit in part of our downstairs, back corridor…

The black pipes are the hot water pipes covered in insulation.  The copper pipes were added a year ago to extend the heating and the white pipes were already here.   It would be good to hide them all at some point – we’re not quite sure how yet.   Another problem for another day.

The up-side is that we now have really hot water whenever we want it and it’s cheaper to heat.  The pressure is better too as it’s running directly off the mains.  It’s also another step forward in our master plan for this side of the house:   we’ve got 3 small bathrooms to renovate and one of the large bedroom’s on the top floor is earmarked to become a fourth.   It took a bit of time to persuade Ed of this plan but if you can’t have a huge bathroom in a house like this then when can you?

One of the lovely features of this room is the inside of the small round tower in the corner.  At the moment it’s  a semi-circular cupboard but I’m hoping to transform it into a walk-in shower.

Turning this vision into a reality is a long way off but ever since we bought the house I’ve been dreaming of relaxing in the bath in the middle of this room – a glass of something in my hand, a real fire burning in the hearth, taking in the view of the mountains in the distance as snow falls gently on the lawn.  When that day comes my work here will be done.