Villa Terrace, Seaton, Devon

Comprising five houses, this terrace is just along the road from Manor Cottages (seen in the previous post), with another terrace inbetween. Sadly, unlike Manor Cottages, there are no name or date plaques on these other terraces, and I haven't been able to find out much at all. However, there are architectural clues as to when they were built, plus looking at old OS Maps I've been able to pinpoint which era they appeared. 

Although Manor Cottages were on the 1906 map, having been built in 1901, the other houses along this stretch don't appear until the next available map dated 1933, so therefore built sometime between the two dates.  Interestingly, this particular terrace has both the architectural features of the Edwardian style together with the later application of affordable homes; a period of great social change culminating in the end of the first World War in 1918, when schemes such as 'Homes Fit For Heroes' for the returning troops were the start of a national programme to clear the slums and provide better housing. 

 

Some of the Edwardian features include the use of square bay windows and hipped roofs. Architects still continued to draw on earlier styles with tall chimneys, gables (notably with mock timber), pebbledash, stained glass, hanging red tiles and terracotta decoration, but applying them to standard terraced housing and not just large expensive houses as previously. Although no Mock Tudor on these...thank goodness, did I hear someone say?*...the gables and window porches comprise a delightful mixture of terracotta hanging tiles forming a decorative pattern of rectangles and circles.

*Actually, it was me. ;)

 

Similar to Manor Cottages, the door architraves emulate the late Victorian Gothic style; white stone beautifully contrasting against the red brickwork. As can be seen on the photograph above, the moulding between the ground floor brick and the first storey pebbledash is deliberately picked out to enhance the different elevation of each house due to incline. It almost looks like a Mediaeval drip mould.

I love this old wrought iron garden gate with it's asymetrical design. It's slightly reminiscent of the Art Deco sunburst design of the 1920s; Art Deco being an art movement which took some of it's inspiration from Ancient Egypt, especially after the discovery of King Tutenkhamun's tomb in 1922. 

Above and below; lovely tall chimney stacks straddling across the pitch of the roof add another revival touch along with a pretty terracotta ridge tile. Altogether a very charming building. 

Ah, and about the name. Although I don't know of any name attached to it (a friend owns one of the houses and isn't aware of a specific name; there isn't one on the deeds), a couple of the homes have Villa in their house names, so I've made up a name for now to reflect that. I will, of course, update that and add other information if and when I discover more.

And, to finish off, a snowy photo taken a few winters beforehand. 

 

 

 

 

Manor Cottages, Seaton, Devon

Built in 1901, this is a very attractive terrace containing six dwellings...actually there appear to be seven now, but more about that later. I didn't know anything about it to begin with, but the plaque was a good starting point with the date and initials, and I've been able to fill in some of its history from those. I did come across a reference to the name Manor Cottages, which also helped as there's no name on the terrace itself.

One of the things I ascertained is that the initials possibly stand for Sir Walter John Trevelyan, 8th Baronet (1866-1931). Sir Walter Calvery Trevelyan, the originator of building and improvement for Seaton, died childless and therefore had no heirs. However, the baronetcy went to his nephew Sir Alfred Wilson Trevelyan; Walter John being one of Alfred's descendants.

 

Built in what has become the local vernacular style of flint rubble, there are some lovely details of the late Victorian and Edwardian period. Three-light casement windows with leaded panes, or as in the case above, a divided top section, with ogee arched heads and Elizabethan style drip moulds on the ground floor. The first floor windows comprise three lights with a central casement window. The quoins surrounding the doors and windows are made of limestone, probably from Beer Quarry (situated just above the nearby village of Beer). 

Forward facing gables sit above the first floor windows, the plain ends painted to match the doors, which are all in bright, distinctive colours. Lovely dark grey slate roofs contrast nicely with the flint rubble facing, along with terracota ridge tiles. The terrace is reminiscent of almshouses, but was built during a very interesting time of experimentation in mixing and matching various styles coming from, and drawing on, the late Victorian Gothic. 

The limestone quoins and chert infill pattern is very similar to that of the Town Hall, which was built in 1904 just two years later.

 

 

About the seventh cottage! Originally there were just the six, but in recent years another bit was attached to the left hand side. Having trawled through my photos I found some that I'd taken in 2004 without the addition, one of which can be seen below, so it was built sometime after then. I vaguely remember building work going on there but no idea of the actual year.

As can be seen in the photo below, the addition has been beautifully built to blend in with the others, although it's smaller and looks slightly different due to the quoins that decorate the original end of the terrace. In fact, it's not really an extra cottage at all, but is an extension to the first cottage comprising a ground floor garage with rooms above, and constructed to look like another, separate section of the cottages. 

And to finish off, I took some photos of some of the lovely tiny front gardens on another day.

The Long House, Seaton, Devon

 

 

Although this building is called the Long House, and is certainly extremely long, it isn't actually a traditional longhouse. I haven't discovered when it was built but I did check out some old OS maps and found out that although it was on the 1958-59 map, it wasn't on the earlier one of 1938, therefore was built sometime between then.

When I first came to live in Seaton, nearly 44 yrs ago, I vaguely remember that it was a cafe. I didn't have occasion to go back up that road for a very long time after that, but by the time I did it had become a residential house. For some reason, I never got around to taking photos of it until a couple of weeks ago.

Thanks to the comment below, left by Chris Salter, I can now add his information that it was originally the Vee Cafe. The building was extended with wings added at each end in the early 1960s, when it was subsequently renamed the Long House. Having remained a cafe for some time afterwards, I'm pleased that I could remember it being that. Thanks again, Chris. :)

I decided to have a walk up here to take photos of a bungalow with a fabulous red corrugated roof, which I did, and whilst here I took photos of the nearby Harepath Farm and this building, at last! Which I was really excited about after not going on a photo mission for a long time.

 

The roof is tiled, rather than thatched. I really can't remember if it was ever thatched or not, which it may have been.

 

Taken just before the right hand turn off to Harepath Road into Seaton, below. The only way I could get all the building face on in one go! On the right hand corner there's a welcome sign to Seaton with a bench, a flower bed and some palms. Although not indigenous to Britain, there are a lot of palms and other tropical trees & plants on the South-West peninsular, due to the very mild climate and those intrepid Victorian (and earlier) explorers who brought back specimens from their travels.

I'll be putting up the other two articles from this walk - plus another one of a building I saw on the way - as soon as I obtain some more information and, in the case of Harepath Farm, some more photos. :)

 

 

 

 

Lower Bruckland Nature Reserve & Farm, Musbury, Devon

This was something I spotted when looking on the local OS Map: originally a site of old gravel pits, of which there were plentiful in this area of East Devon along with the pebble bed heathland further west. So, I set out in August 2008 for a rather nice, but rather long round trip walk of 5 miles, to have a look at it.

  

Formerly Lower Bruckland Fishery, the lakes were stocked with trout and used for angling, but in recent years it has become a haven for wildlife and its enthusiasts - bird watchers, walkers and photographers - and is now a nature reserve.

I visited here twice; once in August 2008 and again two years later in August 2010. Oddly enough, the weather conditions were very similar, with lowering clouds spiked with intermittent sunshine with the odd bit of blue sky...which is just the kind of weather I like for photography and walking.

There was a lot more to see on my second visit, with several additions...now four lakes including the original two, more small ponds, some interesting wooden features, new planting of trees and shrubs and the maturing of trees over the last two years. 

The two original large lakes are called Tringle Lake and Serpentine Lake, each some two acres in size which are supplied with natural water from the Bruckland Stream.

 

      

The photo below was taken on my first visit, looking back to the entrance from the lane over the stream. It was beautifully rustic and fairly overgrown.

On my second visit during August 2010 it had been replaced by a 'Health & Safety' bridge, below, with railings on both sides and a metal gate, which wasn't quite so charming. Hopefully it has or will wear gracefully and look more natural in time.

These photos were taken on my second visit and, although the weather was pretty similar, the photos came out differently.

After skirting the two nearer lakes I had a walk around the one seen below, which I didn't get so far around on my first visit.

One of the two larger lakes, there's a bird hide on an island reached via a wooden footbridge. On the far bank can be seen a water wheel.

Below, the water wheel set into the bank.

There are also several runnels, streams and even a small tumbling weir directing water from one lake into another. 

Wooden sculptures are some of several interesting features to be seen around the lakes and amongst the undergrowth. Plus some seating to sit and enjoy the views.

And short piers jutting out into the lakes.

Ducks on the lake, below. The building on the far bank is a cafe, which I only discovered on my second visit, and where I enjoyed a blackberry muffin and a cup of coffee whilst sitting at a rustic table beneath an apple tree...also under my umbrella, as it had begun to rain by then! ;) 

Lower Bruckland farm, below. Although modernised over the years, it still contains evidence of its 16th century origins such as the original flagstone, beams, inglenook fireplace and bread oven, and is a grade II Devon Longhouse.

The original longhouse would have comprised only one storey with a thatched roof, no chimneys or any of the above additions on the front.

We can see a bit more clearly from this side, below, that longhouses were built on a slope; in this case it shows two adjoining sections - the higher roof due to the new roofing and extra storey added on - whereas originally it would have been one long, low building. The lowest end contained the shippon where the animals were housed, the highest where the family lived.

Below, an old muck spreader outside the farm. On the opposite side of the lane is a wonderfully old plough share.

And two photos taken whilst going back down the lane afterwards.

Pretty, but poisonous, below, a lot of Woody Nightshade in the hedges; a relative of the Deadly Nightshade. The Deadly Nightshade fruits are black though, whereas the Woody ones look like tiny tomatoes, which both plants are also related to.

One of the odd things about my scanner is that if the sky is mostly white, or very pale, it chops off the sky down to the horizon. So, I have to put another photo overlapping beneath it to provide a dark edge at the top. This is what I did with the two below and I liked them so much that I decided to keep a copy of them. See what you think. :)

A little explanation about having to scan prints. For those that don't know, I only ever use a 35mm film camera for all my decent photography. I do have a little Fuji Fine digital camera, which I only use for odd seasonal home & garden photos that I want to send in emails to relatives occasionally. There are so many reasons why I stick to 35mm cameras but mainly because I've been using them since I was 7 yrs old and they are a lot more pleasurable, as well as much easier, to use than digital for me. The whole thing of going to places, taking photos, getting the prints back from the printers and seeing what I've got, then scanning and photo-editing makes the visit hugely memorable and personal. Together with finding unusual and interesting landscapes and remains from the past, doing the research and writing articles, it makes for an exciting and very special interest. 

And there you have it! I hope you enjoyed this little meander around this special and little known nature reserve. :)