Just a quick blog to apologise for not having blogged all week. Been an unusually busy one though.
Took the above photo through the offside car window last Sunday (or rather Ann did). When we looked at the photos that evening this one didn't seem very attractive, and we had to work out why this was so. The house is oak framed (probably fairly early Tudor) -chimneys look a bit strange and oddly placed; but we both thought that the real problem is that the house's surround of well raked gravel gives the place a clean, hyegenic, and rather sanitised look that is out of keeping for its period. Also, looking at the photo, the place is almost perfectly symmetric. In fact the more I look at it the more it jars. Or am I being hyper- critical? Rather wish I hadn't inflicted it on the rest of you. Your views would be welcome though. .
Good night all.
12 comments:
I like this house! Different. Interesting.
I think the large expanse of gravel is the main problem. However, I don't like the front door for some reason. The house is lovely in itself,but as you say Mike it does jar the senses.
At the risk of being over dramatic, the house looks sad and afraid.
Hope you are both well, love Maggie and Mark
Hm. There's been some strange restoration to the house that doesn't suit it. Too many windows, too large, those surely aren't the original chimneys and there's something that doesn't look right about the exposed brickwork and the half-timbering.
Hi Lori. Now that's an intriguing reaction. Your words 'different' and 'interesting' might well indicate that it's an unusual looking house.
Hello Maggie. I think you're right. If, instead of all that gravel, the house stood in it's own garden, it would not look quite so... ill at ease (?)
Good morning Z. I think perhaps you've hit it. The framework timber looks early, but has either been moved (reused anyway) or perhaps has been left derelict for a while, then not over-sympathetically restored. Visually rather disturbing, but perhaps a decade or so of encroaching garden might help.
I showed this to Russell and reminded him of a lovely old house at Wrentham, where the owners removed the plasterwork to show the bricks and half-timbering. It looked lovely but the listed building people weren't happy - neither the wood nor the bricks would have been exposed originally and leaving them would make them open to decay. They had to plaster over the house again.
This makes me think that the same thing has happened here. Lovely bricks, lovely wood, but not all designed to be exposed like that. And those windows are just plain wrong and out of proportion.
P.s. Just hope the present occupier never chances to read this blog. His/her feelings might be hurt.
Seeing your reply to my first comment, R and I both think there's too much timber and agree with you.
There is a distinct sense of dereliction about the house. Not dereliction of its fabric, but of its 'Soul'. First thought that sprang to mind was Edgar Allen Poe's 'Fall of the House of Usher'. On second thoughts 'The Raven' perhaps encapsulates the sense of eternal loss which your camera has captured. It is a house weeping inconsolably and wringing its hands in despair.
At first glance it looks ripe for conversion.
Hello Pat. Yes, we first saw it (glimpsed through its gateway) as we drove past. Thought it looked nice and unexpected, drove back, took the photo. Then when we got home, put the photo on screen and really looked at it, and began to wonder......
Post a Comment