# It Is Darkest Before Dawn - January 2017



## mockingbird (Jan 18, 2017)

*The Mausoleum Of Sleep*​






I managed to get a few explores in before the end of the year, so I have a backlog (sorry).
This place had bugged me for a few weeks, having already spotted the place once, finding it again in fog and those dark evenings became a bother, especially as its hell to find in the first place and surrounded by tonnes of woodland and small hills to walk up, you could get lost during the day, it surprises me dog walkers don't in the area, but I guess they stick to the walk trails and not parts like this.

*The First Visit*
I ventured here with some friends first time around, I had only spotted the place from a distance mind, so finding it again and time not on our side, along with a heap of fog in the evening building up, we had little to no chance to capture its beauty, may I add google maps skyview is pointless as well in finding this. That being said I walked away with 3 shots I liked the rest was just terrible, but the atmosphere and how it just sits is beyond wonderful to me, so I just enjoyed viewing the place I guess the first time around​

*REVISIT!*
I soon went back (2 days later) finding it the second time around was easy, especially after getting across the beaten trail, this time it was mid afternoon and having spotted the far away Christmas tree, (which I noticed on the first visit, I knew I was close so it all became clear what trail to take.




​(Christmas tree shot added for storytelling) 





















































After capturing its beauty, I then set out on its history some of which I knew of, but undecided if to post it here for the time being, its known to many teenagers in the area, with chalk writings on walls, and a few energy drink tins, accompanied with a few _#Doggersarea_ and _#Thingstoseeinthesewoods _ no surprise with the first scribble of the hashtag, its a well known dogging wood! 

Anyway, I can share with you that this Mausoleum was built for a family resting place of sleep, the columns support an entablature with inscriptions in English, Greek and Latin. The bronze chest tomb which used to stand under the dome was emblazoned with the Samuelson coat of arms and the family motto: Post Tenebrax Lux (_It is darkest before the dawn_) - I am sure some of you if wanting to visit can work out where this place is.











































Well that's all I have for the moment, minus my backlog I am sure some of you may find this interesting, especially as it sits there looking rather enchanting, on the downside it somewhat needs a form of protection or care, thanks for looking as always and appreciate your responses, will do my best to upload something else soon enough!  ​


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## krela (Jan 18, 2017)

You, a backlog? Surely not!  Nice as always MB.


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## smiler (Jan 18, 2017)

Atmospheric pics MB, I enjoyed it, Thanks


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## lithiumlikable (Jan 18, 2017)

Nice pictures looks like a creepy place

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk


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## Mikeymutt (Jan 18, 2017)

I love this place.love anything like this.got an air of mystery around it..great report and something quite different


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## mockingbird (Jan 18, 2017)

krela said:


> You, a backlog? Surely not!  Nice as always MB.



Still got a backlog from 2015 buddy, thanks alot


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## mockingbird (Jan 18, 2017)

smiler said:


> Atmospheric pics MB, I enjoyed it, Thanks



Thanks smiler glad you like it


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## mockingbird (Jan 18, 2017)

lithiumlikable said:


> Nice pictures looks like a creepy place
> 
> Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk



Atmospheric more than creepy, but I can imagine it would have an essence of creepy, relaxing place though


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## mockingbird (Jan 18, 2017)

Mikeymutt said:


> I love this place.love anything like this.got an air of mystery around it..great report and something quite different



Thank you mate its a wonderful place, very tranquil and like you say mysterious  if your ever down this way let me know


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## Dirus_Strictus (Jan 19, 2017)

Very nice set of this place - one of a number of similar sites dotted around lands that were or still are parts of largish old family estates. From simple stone plinths to structures like this, they were maintained and well used up to WW1 - when the carnage and destruction of the young 'officer class' nigh on wiped out the inheritors of the estates on which these places sat. It somewhat amuses me when we (including myself), describe these places as mysterious and beautiful etc nowadays, because the vast majority were built in open landscapes so that they could be seen from the 'big house' or certain vantage points. I have been fortunate over the years to be able to collect a number of illustrated books published around the time these places were first built and the modern day images of these places, surrounded by mature woodlands and nature at its most mysterious and is far more attention grabbing than those rather stark early illustrations where nature has been clear away.

On the comment about getting lost in heavy woodlands - you will never get lost in trackless woodlands if you have a couple of good working dogs with you. Mine are a couple of Working Cocker Spaniels and we have enjoyed many miles of 'off the beaten' track woodland walking, apart from one abandoned motor bike and two old Morris Minors (How the hell they got them into the woods I have never fathomed), we have found the remains of a couple of Victorian Keepers cottages literally miles off the known trackways, but near to cleanish streams for water. Interesting to see how valuable the game (and thus the shooting) was to those Victorian landowners.


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## mockingbird (Jan 19, 2017)

Dirus_Strictus said:


> Very nice set of this place - one of a number of similar sites dotted around lands that were or still are parts of largish old family estates. From simple stone plinths to structures like this, they were maintained and well used up to WW1 - when the carnage and destruction of the young 'officer class' nigh on wiped out the inheritors of the estates on which these places sat. It somewhat amuses me when we (including myself), describe these places as mysterious and beautiful etc nowadays, because the vast majority were built in open landscapes so that they could be seen from the 'big house' or certain vantage points. I have been fortunate over the years to be able to collect a number of illustrated books published around the time these places were first built and the modern day images of these places, surrounded by mature woodlands and nature at its most mysterious and is far more attention grabbing than those rather stark early illustrations where nature has been clear away.
> 
> On the comment about getting lost in heavy woodlands - you will never get lost in trackless woodlands if you have a couple of good working dogs with you. Mine are a couple of Working Cocker Spaniels and we have enjoyed many miles of 'off the beaten' track woodland walking, apart from one abandoned motor bike and two old Morris Minors (How the hell they got them into the woods I have never fathomed), we have found the remains of a couple of Victorian Keepers cottages literally miles off the known trackways, but near to cleanish streams for water. Interesting to see how valuable the game (and thus the shooting) was to those Victorian landowners.



Lovely feedback dirus, as always an insight into the past and into your own life, a highly spoken past indeed. Yes very much agree there, the house or lands it once belonged to are rather gone an forgotten about, as for an advantage point to see yes upon my second visit it was more noticeable from a different angle further up the woodland an if I'm correct this is where an old house once stood, it's also noticeable from a tower point, but still remains nicely hidden after the 2 hour walk to find it the first time, it all made sense in better light, an I could easily see where the old pathway was, which in summer no one would ever see  
Think this place is a first on here, an I hope someone tracks it down later on maybe in the summer, as for me taking a canine friend my dogs a pug/shitzu cross walking is not this dogs string point let alone a two hour walk  thank you yet again for this feedback


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## Dirus_Strictus (Jan 19, 2017)

Thanks very much for the compliments MB and glad you managed to suss out the visual vantage points. I have always found that searching for visual vantage points sometimes allows one to pinpoint the site of the long demolished main house. On some estate grounds; finding the original position of the 'big house', which were mostly demolished to prevent paying tax on properties that had been destroyed by being used as billets/training sites for troops in WW1 and/or WW11, or being just abandoned as surplus to requirements makes the original layout of the remaining buildings make sense. One sees how beautiful the vistas must have been from the widows and immediate gardens around the 'big' house.


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## stu8fish (Jan 21, 2017)

Great report. There is an Icehouse very near this but I have not been able to find it. Hope you stayed for a while in the car park, very eye opening


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## mockingbird (Jan 21, 2017)

stu8fish said:


> Great report. There is an Icehouse very near this but I have not been able to find it. Hope you stayed for a while in the car park, very eye opening



The further away car park is very eye opening even if your just walking around, tonnes of litter put it that way ha I have yet to find it either hmmm maybe somewhere closer to it? Than we think?


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## Brewtal (Jan 21, 2017)

Properly lovely stuff mate. Missed your reports! Nice bit of darkness about that. Sort your backlog out! We miss you!


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