House was built around the 1850s it is classed as a gentleman's residence it has
the original fireplaces, stained glass & Victorian greenhouse.
Have decided to put on a page all about the new
house, will be taking photos & completing updates on the jobs in the house &
also the garden which is 1/3rd of a acre a lot to do in the garden the
greenhouse does need restoration which I am hoping to complete.
Friday March14th Pick up
the keys to the house, Picked up the keys for Elmsleigh at 14.30pm & drove up to
the house the guy had left on the Rayburn & there was a really nice warm feeling
to the kitchen, we did take a bottle of Champagne up with us & had a glass each
to celebrate our purchase would have drunk the bottle but I was driving back to
the bungalow, the house has very little to do to it, got to put in some
wardrobes & we are going to change the ensuite to a walk in shower cubicle,
stayed a couple of hours to be honest did not want to leave & return to the
bungalow. I have always loved large hallways & stained glass in houses,
our friends in Redditch have a Edwardian house & it is so inviting when you walk
in.
Saturday 15th
In the afternoon we went up to Elmsleigh & did some measuring for
the wardrobes & been looking at putting in a hard wired alarm & also looking to
replace worktops in the kitchen Ros would like black star galaxy worktops.
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In Hallway |
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Looking down stairs into hallway |
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Stained glass window on landing |
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A real gem this window |
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Stained glass door to front door |
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Some more lovely stained glass |
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In Hallway |
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Looking up part of the stairs |
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Back of the house |
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Looking towards the back of the house |
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Part of the new vegtable plot |
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Updates on the plot will be posted |
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Workshop/Green house on left |
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Yes a lot of work to do |
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Looking across to view |
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Will let you know once I have found out where it is! |
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Sunday 16th A short visit
to the house stripped of the border in the dinning room got to paint it eating
room red, but want to do it before the large display cabinet turns up from being
in storage or had a look at putting in a hardwired alarm.
Wednesday19th Off work now until
Wednesday 26th will be long Bank Holiday, Arrive at the house at 10am to a very
sunny morning & it stayed like it until we left at 16.30pm, have been working in
the garden all day, cut the grass & edges mammoth task as it had not been done
for some time, also did some work in the borders we feel these have not been
done for around 14 months, there are some lovely plants in the garden, the
previous owners to the guy we brought it off , spent a lot of money on the house
& in the garden there are some expensive plants in the garden, it has also got
lighting in the garden all done professionally there is also power & lighting in
the green house & workshop, I cannot believe I have not got more work to do in
the house or garden. Yes there is a lot of digging in the garden from the
workshop/greenhouse down to the end of the garden, but this will be my main aim
to complete it. Today had the gate & railing man up going to have a gate at the
back of the house for security & also to keep in Beau & we are thinking about
putting in railings across the garden by the pine at the end of the vegetable
plot. This will make the back of the garden also secure we have always been very
security conscious.
Thursday 20th Been clearing the
left hand border & also started the front hedge, but need a hedge cutter & it is
10% off day at Homebase got a list of items required for garden, filled 15 black
bags & took them up to the recycle centre at High Bullen.
Friday 21st Collected the new
sink from Focus DIY also purchased a small wheelbarrow, rotary line. Because the
car was full we left Beau at the bungalow & drove up to the house & also took
some photos of the greenhouse a big project. Was going to get in a carpenter but
the more I look at it maybe I could do it myself!
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Looking up to the greenhouse |
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Ros will be looking after this part of the garden |
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Greenhouse in sorry state |
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Saturday 22nd Put up most the lining
paper in the dinning room had to do some filling on the walls & we did run out
of time three more pieces to put up with lots of cutting.
Sunday 23rd Took out a telephone
socket in the dinning room refitted skirting board where they had tried to hide
the phone wire & completed the lining paper ready for painting, in the afternoon
went to NT property Arlington Court such a lovely afternoon the peacock was in
full feathers & I forgot the camera again!! also the horse & carriages were
completing the rides around the grounds took the coast route back via Mortehoe,
Woolacombe, Croyde & Saunton Sands good end to the day.
Monday 24th Been to B&Q & Lidl
today purchased a wood router, power saw tools required for the new greenhouse
have decided to try & repair it myself will be interesting! purchased paint
brushes & rollers for the dinning room. We took Beau on the beach at Instow
before we went up to house, we then painted the ceiling in the dinning room &
took some garden rubbish up to the recycle centre at High Bullen a really lovely
day.
Tuesday 25th Been up to the house
again & painted the walls in the dinning room first coat of three! afterwards we
went to B&Q & purchased the paint for our bedroom, want to get most of the small
jobs completed before my hernia operation & also getting the stuff out of
storage in Malvern.
Saturday 29th Ros said can we go
into our bedroom & glue up the ceiling wallpaper ready for painting! well that
started into stripping off the walls & ceiling! the chimney above the room had
been taken down sometime ago & within that time water must have got into the
plaster, so when I took the ceiling paper off a hole appeared & it took most of
the day to get off all the paper on the ceiling it is so high.
Sunday 30th Stripped off the
walls in the bedroom today feeling we are very tired but want to completed the
bedroom before the stuff from storage arrives.
Saturday April 5th Got the man
planned to put up the fencing & a door across the
garden he starts in 3 weeks time, also had the man ring about the gates he
stated they will be up in four weeks time so things are starting to move. Have
done a second coat of paint on the dinning rooms walls, then we put lining paper
on two walls in our bedroom.
Sunday 6th Third coat of paint on
the walls in the dinning room, also cut the grass the sun had dried it off & the
forecast is snow or rain next week, had a lovely surprise on Saturday the
grapevine in the greenhouse has come into bud, we thought it was dead! what do
we know about grapevines! need to read up about pruning, also in the vine I think
is a field mice nest it is so small today I took some photos of
the vine. Also took photos before & after in the dinning room we are keeping the colours to the
Victorian times as much as possible, you will notice to the left of the
fireplace a white round button that went to a servant bell box which is in my
study & I have taken a photo to show you them, the maker for the bell box was
also in Torrington as is the name of the company.
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80's style wallpaper had to go |
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In the Dinning room |
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New colour in dinning room |
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Servants button to the left of the fireplace |
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Original Servants Bells |
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These bells are operated by buttons by the side fireplaces
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The grapevine |
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We thought this was dead but the new shoots are appearing |
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Friday May 2nd Been up to
house today & the fence man has finished putting up the palisade fencing & a
secure door across the bottom of the garden it has really made it look good so
pleased with the look, this will keep in Beau & the chickens! Gates go up on the
9th May.
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Looking down to the fence from behind Workshop. |
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Again looking down to the fence |
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The gate is fitted this will keep Beau in |
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To the rear of the workshop we hope to put in a large pond
stretching the width of the garden with a bridge over it. The area from the pine
trees down to the fence will become a cottage garden once the paths have gone
in, behind the fence is a area 15m long by 4m deep which will become the compost
area.
Friday 9th Exciting day
had the gates fitted this will keep Beau in & stop us worrying about him running
onto the main road, study/office has been painted & woodwork stained &
varnished, dining room completed & also bedroom, new bed arrived yesterday, also
started to cut the wood for the wardrobes.
Saturday 31st Well we
brought a lovely looking house inside & out & now it looks like a bomb site
inside, because of the hernia operation I am unable to lift anything heavy
attached are a few photos of the mess we are in, the frustration is we are
unable to find the supports for the big units to put in the shelves & get some
china out of the boxes.
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Ensuite bathroom someday! |
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Sitting room from a differnt angle |
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Sunday June 15th Ros has been very busy in the
garden, I cleared the borders also cut the hedge & the garden is looking
really nice, I am frustrated with the house still boxes everywhere & the meadow
needs looking at but this hernia operation has taken it out of me & still unable
to lift anything heavy, the information I was given from the hospital stated 4/5
weeks before lifting anything heavy. But I have managed to plant the greenhouse
with a few things had our first harvest of courgettes attached a few more
photos.
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View from downstairs loo |
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Looking up the garden |
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Looking a lot better |
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The relaxing corner |
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From a different angle |
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Notice the steel water ball in the corner it has LEDs in the top looks good at night. |
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Our first harvest |
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Yellow courgettes, tomato, peppers, spring onions & lettece in greenhouse |
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Sunday October 5th Not looked at the web site for
sometime been putting photos on my Blog, but felt today needed to up date home
page. Study is now complete & also been working in the meadow. Taken out old
insert in sitting room & now ready to fit insert & slate hearth.
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In Sitting room |
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Old 50's fire insert taken out |
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New Insert |
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Insert ready for fitting |
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Finished study |
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Morse keys in the study |
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Still in study |
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Items above the ham radios |
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A few more photos of the working going on since we have moved in.
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In the garden |
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Tree still up |
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Still in garden |
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Tree gone better view |
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In meadow |
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Big bonfire in meadow |
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Still in garden |
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Hedges cut & garden looking better |
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