Thursday 28 August 2008

Clarifications about our house

First of all, we do not live in a Stately Home! It has 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, neither en suite, 2 tiney ex maids rooms, now our offices. Downstairs, a drawing room, sitting room, small hall, dining room a loo and a kitchen. The so-called utility room is several yards outside the house, beyond the Conservatory. It has a washer, sink, table, dryer, and another table. Also garden tools and all sorts of other gardening bits and pieces!

The house was built in about 1570 as a Bastle House ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastle_house ) The stone vaulting mentioned is not here and may have never been. The "New Front" was probaly put on in the mid or early 1600's. The wall is thinner and of course has proper windows in it, though they were smaller then. An extra pane was added in 1927 when the ceilings were raised. The square bit was added in about 1730 and has a flat roof. Used to be lead but not any longer.

Film set - it has been used once, or rather the flat roof and the front door were. A children's film a number of years ago. The rooms are all too small for films and there are so many better houses in Northumberland, even for Cookson films.

Shall have to discover how to transfer the Common Room Post to here, so that this makes sense!

4 comments:

Frances said...

No matter what the details might be, Withy, that house is beautiful!

Hoping that your garden day will be blessed by good weather.

xo

Pondside said...

Living as I do in a very 'new world' here on the Pacific Northwest coast, I am fascinated by the ancient houses in Europe. Yours sounds so very interesting, Whithy. I'm going back to read the forum post again!

Cait O'Connor said...

Your house is historical indeed and very beautiful too.

Exmoorjane said...

Oooh, glad you posted this - answers all the questions I had but didn't like to ask. Your house is the opposite of a tardis then - as it looks much much bigger from the photos. I remember you telling us before about its origins so was so thrilled to see a pic at last. As Frances and Cait say, it is absolutely beautiful however big or small it is.....jxxx