"TO BE happy at home is the ultimate result of all ambition"
so said the 18th century British poet Samuel Johnson.
Around the same time in history, Dolforgan Hall in Kerry was
built on an estate known as The Forest, and a legacy of grandeur
was created which lives on to this day.
Some dispute remains over when exactly the property was built
records as far back as 1709 show the property in its initial
state, although the joining of the two cottages into the one
house we see today is believed to have taken place in 1880.
An article from the Montgomeryshire Express in 1914 charts
renovation work carried out on the property; excitement
expressed at the use of electricity and its 'illimitable
possibilities' revolutionary 96 years ago offers an
interesting insight into a world quite different to the one we
live in today.
The article speaks of the introduction of an electric motor,
powered by a turbine on the Severn, which workers used to take
the strain of some of the more manual tasks on the estate.
"It is a wonderful economist of manual labour" claims the
article: "Its operations provide a most instructive study, which
in turn suggests the infinite uses to which the Severn might be
employed as a water power.
"Could the industrial possibilities of this brook be exploited
for industrial purposes?"
Of course, we know now how electricity changed the civilised
world and the problems we currently face creating enough of it,
but in 1912 it was a new and exciting way of shifting the labour
burden off horses and workers, letting this new power take the
strain.
Many of the methods and techniques employed on the renovation of
The Forest over 90 years ago are, in today's terms, impractical,
inefficient or plain illegal. For example, what was once an
"intricate scheme of drainage, skilfully planned and at
considerable expense" would not meet today's rigorous standards
of hygiene.
It is for this reason that in September last year, new owners
Paul and Michelle Martin embarked on a renovation project to
bring the estate into the 21st century.
"We've restored a lot of damaged features of the house; the bell
tower on the roof needed replacing, we've uncovered archways we
didn't know were there before.
"The roof was in desperate need of work, the wiring and drainage
too.
"No part has been left untouched."
The couple have been staying at the house while the work was
completed, moving from room to room while they watched the next
chapter in this ancient estate's history unfold.
The property is now a five bedroom guesthouse, and opened for
business at the beginning of May.
Paul is happy the project turned out so well: "It's a uniquely
secluded location, offering visitors a chance to glimpse at the
grandeur of an old Victorian country house.
"The work has been carried out impeccably by quality local
tradesmen, and we're hoping for a good year."
