Ungru Manor, Estonia. June 2021. "The things we do for love".

A final stop, unexpected, a big old pile of bricks in a field, had to have a look

A long day, a tiring day, travelling the highways and byways, trudging through fields, climbing through windows.

Hungry and grubby

But this way I shall never roam again

There was the remnant of an information board on the approach

It had seen better days, looks like its a target for guys with guns, that's all I need, wary of a sniper attack I carried on my merry way

Trying to make out the narrative made my eyes hurt so a few websites later, my personal interpretation of what went on......

Merseburger Schloss, Halle. Germany

[Source}(https://commons.wikimedia.org)

Once upon a time, well 1893 to be precise, a young Estonian boy, let’s call him, oh i don’t know, something easy to remember and spell. Evald Adam Gustaf Constantin von Ungern-Sternberg, travelled from his home to a far off land where he stumbled across an enchanted castle deep in the forest, let’s call it, Meresberg Schloss.

The castle was lived in by a grand nobleman and his daughter; to preserve her modesty lets call her Brumhilda, she was a fine stout, buxum lass more than capable of swinging an axe and felling trees as swiftly as any man.

“Wellll hellllo, dainty one, I am Evald Adam Gustaf Constantin von Ungern-Sternberg, but my friends call me Evie”

“Get out of my way, I have logs to chop”, she replied “I am Brumhilda, but you can call me Bruce for short”

Knowing his place in the pecking order he shrunk away, but alas he was smitten, we will never know if it was the braided golden locks, the bright blue eyes or the mahoosive bazoomers that caught his attention.

Later that afternoon, he espied her again,

“Bruce, Bruce” he called after her.
“ Alright Evie hows it hanging” she replied
“My darling” said he “ I am in love , ever since i saw your beautiful mahoosive ……..

……. blue eyes, I knew we were to be together for ever, marry me, make me the happiest man in all the world”

This bloke didn’t hang about, c’mon ffs really?

You don’t even know if she can cook, use a hoover or do the business in the boudoir, get a grip of yourself. (ooer! sexist).

“ Hmmm, but i so love living in my dad’s gaff, I want to live here forever, he has so many trees to chop down and fields to plough, and all you can offer me is a three bed semi detached house on a housing estate”

“Agh, bollocks” said Evie, “ I’ve never been lucky”

“I shall return home and build you a manor house identical to this castle perfect in everyway, will you marry me then?”

“How the fuck do i get rid of this loon” thought Bruce, “ok, yes, go, go, build it and she will come”

Years passed, until one day a pigeon flew over and dropped one on Bruce, a scroll, a message….

“Daaaaaaaaad!” screamed Bruce “ Read this”

“So my dearest Brucie Wucie, I’ve only gone and built it, just have to plaster and decorate the inside and its there for you, I just wish someone would hurry up and invent an iphone, i could send you a snap, along with a snap of my dog, the shoes i have just bought and my dinner.
In 3 months time i shall come and pick you up and bring you here.
Forever your Evie.

“Sheeeeit what am I going to do? i didn’t think he would go and build it, I only said it to get rid of him”

“Leave it to me” said pater

A serf was dispatched with a simple hand written and sealed note for the attention of the young smitten Count. the father of the bride was a man of few words.

“She is dead”

Poor old Evald was distraught. he abandoned the manor it was never lived in. He continued to roam the lands in search of a new love, but popped his clogs in 1908 whilst visiting St.Petersburg.

The young count had not sired any sprogs, the manor was ownerless, left to its own fate.

The end

Whilst travelling in the area offering to “tarmac your drive sir, to be sure it will be a good price” a bunch of pikeys moved in and stripped the place of anything of value.

Piece by piece, bit by bit the manor crumbled, the Soviets scavenged a lot of materials for the construction of a nearby airbase.which was in use from 1945-1992.