This is Montrose on the east coast of Scotland. As you can see it has an enviable position between the sea and the tidal Montrose Basin. This view was taken from the House of Dun (a NTS mansion) looking back towards the town. The water in the foreground is the Basin, famous for it’s birdlife. The town occupies the narrow spit of land between the water and the sea.
It has some fine old buildings with walls of red sandstone. Many date back to the time when Montrose was a thriving port and wealthy merchants built elegant town houses for themselves.
There are numerous fine churches and the Academy, the local secondary school has a gold saucer catching the light.
Many Montrosians hurry by about their business and are oblivious to the more hidden side of the town. There’s nothing sinister about, it's just not noticed. Look up at the warm red sandstone walls to see a fountain a greenery hanging from the walls and rooftops.
Closes (passageways) connect many of the main streets. The old walls providing a niche for ferns, buddleia and toadflax to flourish.
Grasses sprout from Chimneys and ivy covers walls with a green tapestry. Rosebay willow herbs grows precriously above the front of a pillared church. Herb Robert nestles in a crack in the wall spreading its seeds around to start the cycle again.
More buddleia grows along the top of the close wall and centranthus ruber "Red Valarian" and toadflax fills many of the cracks. A soft green carpet of moss edges the path.
Shrubs and clematis spill over a high wall adding a dash of colour as it twines around the road sign. Purple loosestrife grows in a rhone (gutter) buffeted by the wind.
White or yellow stonecrop cling to gaps in the roof slates and moss covers old industrial
roofing.
Some may view this as a sign of neglect but it also shows nature asserting herself and plants growing in the most inhospitable places.
Weeds are nature's graffiti. ~Janice Maeditere
It's a pretty standard thing, isn't it, to hurry from place to place in our own towns without taking notice of what we are passing. Looking up often pays off where ordinary shop fronts have been inserted at ground levels but original facades have been left in place higher up. Walls everywhere are wonderful!
ReplyDeleteEsther
Good to see you back Esther, looking forward to reading about your world tour in a tent.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your visit to Montrose and its secret areas - it looks lovely
ReplyDeleteI'm not visiting Montrose, I live here....and very nice it is too!
ReplyDeleteIsn't nature wonderful - if we tried to plant things in the nooks and crannies I expect they would all die.
ReplyDeleteLovely...the moss on that path is gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteLovely post, great pics!
ReplyDeleteLove the pictures of Montrose Janet, Montrose has so many wee passages like snickelways in york? Lovely to see the old buildings with follage cascading around.I wish people would not brick up old doorways it is a shame. look forward to seeing Montrose in person.Crocosmia
ReplyDeleteI love the "weeds are nature's graffiti" quote - and as we would say to the nephews, good noticing! Plants do thrive in the most surprising places.
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