Old Coach House, Ottery St Mary, Devon

Some places have so much history and information, spanning back many generations of interesting and famous people, with different uses and architectural additions, that I honestly don't know where to start. This isn't one of them! ;)

On the rare occasion I get one of the above, or the exact opposite where a building looks as if it should have a lot of history, but appears not to. Or, at least, none that I can discover. Interestingly I came across both kinds in Ottery St Mary, the first being the Chanter's House, the second this intriguing little building known as the Old Coach House. So, as on most of these occasions, I will just waffle my way through some features which may shed some light - bearing in mind that they are my own conjectures and not to be taken as gospel.
 

Situated on the opposite corner to the King's Arms Hotel, this area forms a group of British Listed Buildings. Number 6 is part of that group but on checking out various sources, the listing refers to a different number 6 amongst the buildings on the opposite side of the street. As the King's Arms was a coaching house, it's a bit of a mystery why this one should be one too. I had wondered if it had once been part of a complex belonging to the King's Arms, but I can't find any record of it and would surely have been noted as such in the listing.

However, there are some architectural clues which may have presupposed its former existence as a coach house. The large, double-door entrance could have facilitated horses, although not tall enough to allow passage for coaches. This is also true for the King's Arms, which was a staging post to change the horses rather than a stopping post to stay overnight before a return journey. The entrance in the Old Coach House may have been used for deliveries, in which case it could have housed a trade of some sort.
 

The windows are Georgian in appearance. However, the first storey ones are rather awkwardly set into blind window insets, and are most likely a later addition. The building comprises a lower wall of rubble while the upper storey is brick built. I came across a photo from the 1960s showing the original unpainted brick and rubble facing, which can be found in the Ottery St Mary photos of the King's Arms in the Francis Frith collection (I can't link to it directly but it can be found via search engine).
 

What is really lovely about this building is the elegant convex crescent shape, curving around the corner of Cornhill and Gold Street. The Georgian period is known for its crescents, abeit on a much grander scale, such as the ones that can be seen in the city of Bath. However, there is a crescent in Truro, Cornwall, in which the buildings are similar to this. Called Walsingham Place, it's a delightful street of both convex and concave terracing, comprising small houses of two storeys on each side. They can be seen on this link below...

www.cornwalls.co.uk/photos/walsingham-place-truro-2100.htm

One of those chance encounters whilst having a mooch around, I'm glad to have found this delightful and unusual building. There are lots of unanswered questions, but plenty of interesting features to muse about and enjoy. And, as always, I will add any further information as and when I come across it.

Kilmington Quarry, Kilmington, Devon

I've got a thing about quarries. I remember seeing them as a youngster from the coach windows when our family went on holiday in limestone country- before I lived in Devon - and the sudden view of whitened, lunar-type landscape with its workings always captivated me. So they became one of my favourite kind of places to explore as an adult urbexer.
  

This is one I had my eye on and is interesting because the site is part live and part abandoned, the latter comprising a Site Office (above), weighbridge, another building (possible control room), fuel station and various old pieces of machinery.

The live area (above, along with the remains of the weighbridge) contains the cement works which still supply the necessary materials for ready mix concrete.

The above photo was taken through the window of the old, abandoned Site Office, followed by interior photos below.

There have been several quarries worked in the Kilmington area since Roman times, supplying flint and grit for maintaining roads. The quarries on this particular site have been extensively worked for the last fifty years in order to provide sand and grit for the ready mix concrete industry.

Prior to that, this site began life at the beginning of WW2, when materials were needed for the construction of airfield runways at Dunkeswell and Smeathorpe. Smeathorpe, also known as Upottery, was used by the 101st Airborne Division, made famous in the book and television series 'Band of Brothers', whereas it was from Dunkeswell that the USA Bombers flew, including Lt. Joseph Kennedy (older brother of President J F Kennedy) on his fated mission when he was subsequently killed in action.

The quarry carries out work on part of the extensive Axe Valley gravel beds dating from the Quaternary Period, comprising pebbles of flint, chert, chalk and greensand (the latter of which is known to have caused the landslips between Axmouth and Lyme Regis as well as other places along the East Devon and West Dorset coastlines). There have been many quarry sites in the East Devon area, as can be seen on old maps plus the modern day OS maps, where they are marked as disused pits.

 

I'm not sure what this building is but I think it was a control room containing switchgear for the old plant.

Below, some lovely old derelict fuel tanks and pump.

Old and abandoned machinery are dotted around the unused part of the site.

This one's become an unofficial flower bed, covered with moss and wild plants.

And something rather unusual; a pile of partially burnt loom reels. Some like these were once used as edging around the 'Weaver's Garden' of the Old Courthouse in Axminster - which is how I know what they are - and are probably from the old carpet factory. Although what they were doing here, and why someone wanted to destroy them, is a complete mystery.

Next up, exploring the live part of the site. Happily, it was a weekend, otherwise it would have been impossible to sneak onto. And this is where I must put a disclaimer here, as I don't condone or encourage anyone to trespass or go anywhere that could be potentially dangerous; to do so is completely up to the individual and they are responsible for any resulting problems. There, that's me covered! ;)

Near to the old machinery, on higher ground, is where the far end of the cement works can be seen. These photos show the top of the hopper, where materials are unloaded down onto the conveyor belt beneath.

The hopper, below.

In between that and the other end of the opposite conveyor belt are huge storage bins for the various aggregate.

And the plant at the other end.

Below, the new site office for the cement works operation.

 And a fleet of ready-mix cement lorries.

Then finally, back to the entrance again. A fantastic explore; one of several undertaken during September 2008.

The Mythic Garden, Chagford, South Devon

This is one of those places which is a bit off the beaten track and wasn't very well known at the time of my visits. A fabulous place to enjoy nature and somewhere to see something different.

The Mythic Garden is a yearly exhibition of sculpture by West Country artists, set in Stone Lane Gardens, Chagford. This is a 5 acre arboretum, which holds a National Collection of wild-origin trees, notably Birch and Alder, in a landscaped woodland and water setting.  Although open all-year round for viewing and for the sale of trees grown here, the exhibition only runs through the Summer, from May to October.  

The first few photos shown above were taken around 2000/01, during a field trip with my fellow studio artists (we shared studio space one day a week at the local further education college). My first visit, however, was in 1993 with several friends, which was the first time I'd heard of the gardens and when I was very much taken with the exhibits...photos below.

Blending beautifully into the landscaping, they mainly consisted of willow-woven sculptures, painted mirrors, magical chairs & thrones made from reclaimed wood, plus a willow tepee adorned with prayers written on scraps of material. Many of these ideas later went into some of the mainstream styles for home and garden.

As it happens, I only took slide photos during that visit, which worked out really well because I was able to use them for a seminar presentation as part of my University degree course, fitting in nicely with a theme I explored around the idea of the mystical garden.

I love the way that these African-style pots look next to the red/orange of the tree bark.

One of the willow sculptures of a leaping deer.

And some more mirrors, which I really love, especially the moon one above.

And finally, in the photo below is my son on the right, along with one of my friends. A fabulous day out, which we all enjoyed very much.