This barn is on the A65 just opposite the end of Hophouse Lane, near Kirkby Lonsdale. I've no idea how old it is although I expect the windows would give any historian worth her or his salt some idea. Got to be a at least a hundred years, though, right?

Recently, what was left of the roof blew off in a heavy storm and the wood is still scattered over the field. I suppose it will rot or be taken away to be burned. Perhaps that will hasten the eventual crumbling of the barn, now that more water can get inside.

In years gone by, the stone would have been taken away to build something else once the barn wasn't being used - I believe that lots of the stone from Hadrian's Wall was taken for building - but it looks as though this fellow is being left to slowly fall to pieces. It's almost imperceptible, of course, except for sudden events like the roof coming off.

I was reminded of this today when I read this article about the fact that the Western Antarctic ice sheet is collapsing irrevocably. I wonder what sudden changes will create the milestones in its long erosion?

Of course, part of the problem when it comes to climate change is that humanity never does anything until it's too late and even then the first response will be looking for someone to blame. I saw it was going to take a thousand years and my kneejerk reaction was "No need to worry about that yet, then". #fail