Incongruous

It's strange to find these ugly garages in the grounds of a mid-Victorian mansion in Cardiff, which by the way has some beautiful gardens. Some of the mansion's turrets are visible in this shot.

The garages were hurriedly built during the Second World War to house fire engines and civil defence equipment, when the mansion was used by the ARP and fire services and the home guard. Understandably, their design was strictly functional. Nowadays the council keeps large equipment for park and garden maintenance in them.

The mansion has an interesting history. Built in the 1850s, it is called Insole Court after the the original family who lived there. For many years it has been owned by the local council, which has been unable to prevent it from falling into a state of disrepair.

A dedicated band of volunteers, mostly local, has for a long time worked to preserve and restore the mansion, and this week their efforts were rewarded with the announcement of a grant of £2 million.