Timber Clad Building, Seaton, Devon

 

In between two of the small shops that line the centre of the town is this short lane, at the end of which can be seen this attractive timber clad building.

I love timber hung buildings, especially as they are fairly rare in East Devon, so I took a photo of it some years ago. Then, needing to finish a film in my camera recently I decided to use it up on this. Sadly, it's weathered quite a bit and the lovely pale blue paintwork has greyed somewhat, but it's still very charming with its strata of cladding, plaster and stonework.

There was a sign with Underfleet Mews on attached to the building, which had since disappeared by the time I took the photos. The other side overlooks the Underfleet, which makes sense, although I'm not sure if the sign was for the lane or the building. Mind, it doesn't really make a difference as the building is the only residence there. Otherwise, I've no idea when it was built or anything else about it at all but I wanted to include it just because I really like it.

Purpose built into individual flats rather than converted from a single house, there are balconies and private outdoor spaces for the ground floor dwellings. I originally called it a clapboard house but on checking out the difference between the term clapboard and shiplap, I discovered this to be shiplap. The difference is that the clapboard boards are thicker on the base edge, enabling water to run off to keep the lower ones drier - rather like a clinker-built boat - whereas shiplap boards fit together neatly with a smooth surface.

There's some timber cladding on the rear of the next door shop too and the building looks amazingly higgledy-piggledy with its layers of extensions, including some tile cladding on the second gable along.

In fact the whole of the street shop rears have that fabulous haphazard look about them.

As I often do - and just when I'm writing the article - I realise what other photos I could've taken whilst there, including some close-ups of the cladding and stonework, etc. However, I did manage to take a random photo of the residents car park, below. Just because! 

And finishing off with the two below; one taken from across the main shoppers car park and the other from the road below.

Just a short one for now. I'm working on two more which are taking somewhat longer...although that could be me rather than the actual length of the articles! So I thought I'd get this one done in the meantime and I've just managed to finish it before a late teatime. And it's Friday night so there'll be a sci-fi film later with a glass or three of wine, lol.

Have a lovely weekend everyone. Cheers. :)