Llamas and Pirates - Message Board

Well, it's oldish, 1872.
But I'm in between three villages where 19th century is regarded as almost vulgarly modern, as most of their housing is 17th century. It wasn't a silly question, I find it interesting when Americans say they live in an old house and they mean within the last 100 years.
My brother's house began in 1570, but it has changed a bit over the centuries!
Please don't ask me plumbing questions, I have no idea why the tank is in the attic. Possibly because water runs downhill, so it gets to the bathroom easily?

Reply #3201. Feb 28 09, 2:09 PM

Who was it that said 'Britain has History, but America has Geography'?

Reply #3202. Feb 28 09, 2:18 PM

No, I think its cool that you have all that history. Heritage and all that gives one a sense of tribal belonging.
Just one more question and it's not about plumbing ;-) What kind of roof do you have?
Jane said the walls of her house were like mud or something. She lives in an older house too.

Reply #3203. Feb 28 09, 2:30 PM

Mud or something?
Probably wattle and daub, a woven lattice construction with a combination of clay, straw and to be truly authentic...animal dung. It's then painted in pretty colours.
Most of those chocolate-box type thatched cottages that are 'Ye Olde England' have walls made of some form of this.
My roof is clay tiled, sort of orangey coloured.
When I lived in a Victorian house up North, the roof was slate and the walls were stone.

Reply #3204. Feb 28 09, 3:25 PM

My house does not have mud walls , or wattle and daub.
It's made of stones and sand from the beach, there's even shells in the walls. My roof is Westmoreland slate, recently renovated courtesy of the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Reply #3205. Feb 28 09, 3:28 PM

So where did RJ get the idea you lived in a mud house?
You home sounds wonderful, I'd love to incorporate shells into the fabric of a building...I have them as an element of a mosaic in my garden.

Reply #3206. Feb 28 09, 3:33 PM

I don't know where he got the mud walls from. My house is snug and warm in winter and cool in summer. The walls are solid and about 2ft 6ins thick. We discovered the shells when we first bought the house and had to inject damp-proofing into the walls. We had to remove all the plaster from the walls up to 3ft high. I also have triple glazed sah windows in beautiful real wood at the front of the house. The triple glazing is standard double glazing with the original leaded stained glass windows encapsulated inside - this was also funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The whole area where I live is a conservation area and any changes to the outside appearance of the house must have permission from English Heritage.

Reply #3207. Feb 28 09, 3:40 PM

Maybe I was delusional, sorry Jane. I really thought I remembered you telling me that you tried to straighten a wall or something and it just made it worse because it was mud or something and they wouldn't let you replace it ;-) Man, I figure out how to get in trouble in the strangest ways ;-(

Reply #3208. Feb 28 09, 3:43 PM

:) Don't be daft, you're not in trouble. You've just opened up an interesting debate into traditional building materials.
Living in a conservation area can be both tricky and expensive. So many rules.
I've got a friend who has no option over the colour of his front door, the type of windows, or being allowed to have a visible satellite dish for the telly.

Reply #3209. Feb 28 09, 3:53 PM

http://www.lancaster.gov.uk/morecambecaa

I'll let you off RJ. I was probably talking about trying to stick wallpaper on uneven walls and trying to fill in holes at the time.
If anyone's interested this is a link to some information about the Morecambe Conservation Area -

Reply #3210. Feb 28 09, 3:54 PM

Jabberwok - we have the same rules as your friend. All the houses in the same block as mine have the same colour walls, doors and window frames as everybody elses. The colours were chosen for us, we weren't involved in the decision. We can't have satelite dishes either. Plastic windows and doors are banned, I had put a new front door on my house costing £1000 and it was removed and replaced with a wooden one.

Reply #3211. Feb 28 09, 3:57 PM

Don't mention wallpaper, it brings back traumatic memories.
Rj, being a Texecan you are probably a man of stature.
I am very short, just over 5'
Imagine a jabberwok filled enchilada, staggering around a 28 foot room spattering wallpaper paste and curses with equal liberality. Not good.
Add to that the fact I had waist length hair, all I can say is that it was a painful and unrepeatable experience and I now paint things instead.

Reply #3212. Feb 28 09, 4:01 PM

I bet you look great for the tourists though Jane!
Another friend lives in Devon, in Clovelly. There was an attempt by the local council, backed by the Tourist board to ban them putting out their rubbish bins because it spoiled the view.
They were going to set up a facility about a mile from the town and have the locals take their rubbish there.

Reply #3213. Feb 28 09, 4:04 PM

http://www.phk-art.co.uk/gallery.php?gallery=murals

A local artist has painted murals around the conservation area. One of them is on the end of the block where I live, it's of a Victorian Cockle Picker.

Reply #3214. Feb 28 09, 4:17 PM

scubascott

Boy You guys make Me realize why I like living out here in the country! Sure there are building codes, I do live in a hurricane zone but I can build or paint or put satellite dish or dance in My backyard naked if I want(not a pretty sight)! I really hate anyone telling Me what I can do or not do to My domicile! We have Beaufort for that! They do have a historic district there, they do have some 300 year old houses there and the rules are very restrictive what people can and can't do to there houses. I do understand it but would never subject Myself to it by owning something that old or historic! Too much a pain in the butt!

Reply #3215. Feb 28 09, 5:05 PM

A Texican is a Texan of Mexican ancestry. I'm of Irish, Scottish and Comanche decent :-) Heavy on the Irish.
I'm just a shade over six foot so i'm a bit taller than most English.
Now about mud walls ;-)
We call them Adobe walls and they are made of mud and straw and are quite stylish in Texas. The Alamo is an Adobe structure.

Reply #3216. Feb 28 09, 5:07 PM

Scuba, in my wild and wonderful youth I had a boyfriend who lived in a converted 15th century pub. It had no straight lines inside, including the doorframes, and his family couldn't afford to pay for the custom built doors to fit each individual doorway. So they had heavy curtains instead.
And when we wanted a little...privacy, he'd block the hole with a wardrobe. :P
On the other hand, if you don't have conservation rules and regulations, you lose so much of your history as it gets destroyed by the home improvement brigade or Modern Architecture. So irritating they might be to some, but very necessary.
Conservation regs don't ban going skyclad though!

Reply #3217. Feb 28 09, 5:13 PM

Hey Scott, dancing nude....are you sure there is no law against that?....LOL I just finished watching Cape Fear the old one. I was very disappointed to learn that it was filmed in Charleston South Carolina. Man, that's just wrong!

Reply #3218. Feb 28 09, 5:15 PM

I'm with you on that Jabberwok. Some things are worth saving. But I agree with Scott too. I wouldn't want to live there, myself.

Reply #3219. Feb 28 09, 5:17 PM