Three Horseshoes Inn, A3052 nr Branscombe, Devon

Built circa 1830 as a coaching inn, the Three Horseshoes was used for changing horses and providing food and accommodation for coach travellers along the turnpiked road between Lyme Regis and Sidmouth.  Apart from a Smithy, it was the only building on this stretch of the road at the time, due to the lack of piped water. However, hydraulic rams were being manufactured in Britain by the time it was built, and one was used to draw water from a nearby stream.

I only managed to discover a few interesting facts about the inn, including the above information taken from a transcript of a very interesting talk by John Torrance entitled 'The A3052 - A Road Through Time'. Containing a wealth of history about this particular part of the A3052, one fascinating aspect is that the inn was erected on the edge of the ploughed-down banks of a massive prehistoric earthwork, which was built by those who'd constructed the nearby Blackbury Castle hill fort. For anyone who'd like to read more from the transcript, I've put the link in below.

www.branscombeproject.org.uk/page18.html

Another interesting piece of info found elsewhere is that apparently the inn was used as a meeting place for local smugglers. I haven't been able to verify this, but if correct then this may have included the famous Jack Rattenbury, although he was captured in 1831 (the last of many captures!) and subsequently retired from smuggling on his release from prison. However, smuggling went on up until around 1850 in the area and Jack's son William continued in the 'family business', therefore he may have been one of the clandestine attendees. 

This public house had been left empty for a good long while and became completely derelict. I'm not sure when it closed but planning permission was sought to build houses on the site in 2005, and subsequently left abandoned until recent demolition. I only visited once when it was open, which was some forty odd years ago when I was asked to do an illustration of the pub cricket team by the then landlord.

Difficult to get to without transport, I set out one day in 2008 for a walk to take in some other explores. I didn't intend to go this far but as I was already half way there, I just kept on walking and covered about ten miles in all! A bit scary along a busy route with no paths and fast traffic, but it was great to finally visit and it also gave me the opportunity to take photos of the Gilbart-Smith Memorial on the way. The inn was still there in 2012, at the time of writing this on my now defunct website, albeit a lot more derelict and with the addition of some houses built in the former pub car park.

There wasn't any access inside, but the exterior was interesting (which is my favourite bit of buildings anyway), along with the bonus of a few surprises. 

 Around the rear an adjacent wing ran along what was once the pub garden.

A wooden staircase at the rear with faded signs (above), including one for an adventure playground which is no longer there.

Adjoined to the adjacent wing at the rear I found this rather lovely Arts & Crafts house in the corner. The pub and accommodation wing have only recently been demolished, the site developed for housing. However, this attractive house has been left, hopefully to be renovated for use.

And behind that, the rear of the house with a fab turretted bay. 

The trundly thing above is a rotovator, if I remember correctly.

There were loads of interesting bits and pieces stacked in and around the sheds behind the house. Below, a sign for Devon Cream Teas amongst old wooden chairs.

For anyone who doesn't know, a cream tea is a speciality food of Devon, consisting of scones lathered in jam and clotted cream with a pot of tea. The scones are sweet and contain a few scattered raisins and the clotted cream is a thick cream which has been steam heated then left in shallow pans to cool slowly, forming a crusty top. Absolutely delicious! In Cornwall their tradition is to put the jam on first and then the cream but in Devon it's cream first and topped with the jam.

A discarded lampost, above, and some wrought iron panels, below.

A stack of plastic chairs outside what might have been a recreation room, possibly a bowling alley.

And finally, having walked such a long distance, I couldn't leave without climbing the outside stairs up to the roof for a photo. I'm horrendously acrophobic, and the wooden steps felt spongey - which didn't help - but I managed to get far enough to take three photos.
 

After that, I walked back and took the turning down into the village of Beer. I was badly aching by then, managed to limp into the village as a bus came around the corner and I caught it just in time to get back to Seaton. I was rather pleased about that! ;)

A final photo, and farewell, of the old pub carpark.

Hey Nonny Nonny! Morris Dancers, Seaton, Devon

These photos were taken sometime around 1994, give or take a year or two. Seeing the Morris dancers outside the local Old George pub in Seaton was a perfect opportunity to capture something that's quintessentially English.

Taken on b&w film, the first photo was the only one that I printed out, and subsequently scanned. The rest scanned much later with a negative scanner that I bought in 2010, it was a break from the usual website stuff in order to add a bit of fun as well as documenting one of our wonderfully quaint traditions. 

Having researched Morris Dancing, and reading various thoughts about its origins, I decided to wing it and just write about the general basics. Apparently, it was first recorded in the mid 15th century as a folk dance. The name is thought to have originated from Moorish, possibly due to some traditional dancers blackening their faces rather than because it came from abroad. Some dance teams still blacken their faces, mainly those in the North East. 

From what I've read, I believe that these particular dancers in the photos used the Cotswolds tradition. Another tradition, the Border, is from the Welsh border country, which include the English counties Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Gloucestershire, and is a much wilder dance. Interestingly, having just read Phil Rickman's latest fiction (at the time of writing for my website), called All of a Winter's Night, it may also be a darker kind of dance, and Phil makes some rather nice connections between the dance and the Green Man. Another novel highlighting the Morris is Terry Pratchett's book The Wintersmith, which opens with what he called the Dark Morris, heralding in the Winter, as opposed to the Maytime dances which herald in the Spring.

During my research I came across a wonderful YouTube video entitled Extreme Morris Dancing, in which two blokes bash each other on the head with beer trays as part of the dance. A mild tap at first, but increasingly harder each time until the beer trays were bent out of shape! :) And which can be seen here...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VP3fZp4UM2E 
 

If anyone's a fan of of Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels, then you'll know what I mean by 'the stick and bucket' dance. Lords and Ladies is one of my favourite of his books...the blurb on the back of the book being 'lots of hey-nonny-nonny and blood all over the place'.

For those who don't know the story, the Lancre Morris Men woke up from a cider-induced sleep up on the moors to find that the Elves had broken through to their world from their own dimension (very bad elves in this story, in the traditional manner). To get back to their town, and to ward off the elves with music, which fascinates them, they decide to do the stick and bucket dance all the way, a dance which they've banned because it's too violent. 

From the book...

 

...''Seven pairs of boots thudded down...'one, two...spin...ready...one, two...back...back...one, two...turn...KILL...and back, one, two...' "

At least these gents don't use their sticks to kill anyone with! ;)

If anyone knows who these dancers are or where they're from, please let me know as I'd be very interested. Free piccies for them if they get in touch.

And, although a lot of the photos are very similar, I've decided to post them all up in order to document them - and as a choice for any of the dancers - with the rest seen below.

:)

Library Cottage, Marine Parade, Lyme Regis, Dorset

Library Cottage, situated next door to Sundial House, is also Grade II listed and part of an architectural grouping of Marine Parade buildings along with its tall and impressive neighbour. Arnold Mitchell was the architect for both buildings and also the wonderfully Hobbit-like Umbrella Cottage; that and Sundial House can be seen in the previous two articles.

The building began life as two cottages, which was converted into one house, and named Library Cottage because it was here that the town's Marine Circulating Library was established in 1839. Our nation's much loved novelist, Jane Austen, had died some 22 years before in 1817; otherwise, we might imagine her visiting the circulating library as part of her social life when she stayed in Lyme.

A symmetrical frontage of pink-washed walls with hexagonal slate-hung tiles, it consists of two storeys and two window bays encompassing both top and bottom floors. Now once again two separate, semi-detached homes; at least one of which is a holiday cottage. 

The striking rainwater heads are 18th century, and were added to each side of the front by the architect, which he'd taken from another building.

The central piping and other fixtures all appear to be part of the same arrangement and most likely came from the same place, along with the cast iron frieze dated 1768. It occurred to me that the central pipe, having two spouts, may have originated from a fountain with the frieze as part of the pond. I haven't discovered where they came from but it must have been an impressive place, and sadly now probably demolished, but I'll add further info if I come across it.

EDIT: I've recently read (in 2025) that drainpipes were a new fashion when first used and many were highly decorated, or at least had dates on, and proudly displayed at the front. I still haven't discovered about the water spout and pond/freize, so my theory might stand for now. ;)

Both so different from each other, and also from Umbrella Cottage, these buildings show some of the range of styles that Arnold Mitchell worked with. Yet, despite the differences, they also show how he accentuated the meaning behind them in his own unique way.

The first two photos were taken in 2009 and the rest were taken in 2016; the last one along with its neighbour, Sundial House. 

More buildings coming up shortly. :)   EDIT: Sorry about this but whilst starting the next article I realised that I'd missed out some historical cottages. I've been trying to get over to Lyme to take photos of them but this has been a really difficult year and I haven't managed it yet. So meanwhile, I'll carry on with some other posts and will add more of Marine Parade as and when I can. 

Sundial House, Marine Parade, Lyme Regis, Dorset

This building together with Library Cottage were on the same article of my late website because I only had two photos of Library Cottage at the time. It seemed a shame to use separate pages for two quite short articles, plus they are situated next door to each other and form part of an architectural listing group. However, I've since taken more photos of Library Cottage, and also some of other interesting buildings on Marine Parade, so for the blog I'm going to create a new series with a post for each of them. 

New project, yay! ;)

Appropriately, the name of this charming Grade II listed house is called Sundial.  Built in 1903,  it was designed by the architect Arnold Mitchell, who also designed Library Cottage, as well as the delightfully Hobbit-like Umbrella Cottage, which can be seen in the previous blog post. The wonderful sundial that has given the house its name is large, headed by a delightfully fat grinning sun and edged with ebullient foliage curlicues...or twiddly bits, as I like to call them. ;) The motto beneath is HORAS NON NUMERO NISI SERENAS, which roughly translates as "I do not count the hours except the bright ones". Such a beautifully appropriate epithet.

Constructed in blue lias rubble and dressings in contrasting stone, the building comprises four storeys and two window bays above a square headed doorway with studded door which is reached by eight stone steps. Two-light mullioned windows are on the first and second floors, situated to the left of the four-light splayed bay windows, with two-light mullioned windows on the third floor. The eponimous sundial is situated on the window bay between the ground and first floors. A stone rubble wall with two entrance doors (a close-up of one, above) separates the forecourt from Marine Parade.

Two fabulous large ammonite fossils are set into the wall above two slits, and at least one other in the wall of the house itself, signifying the importance of the area for fossils and the contribution made to science by the palaeontologist, Mary Anning.

The first four photos were taken in 2009; these two were taken much earlier in 1996. Almost identical, the amonites and tops of the entrances can be seen in the first, whereas the second one shows the roof detail of the parapet with a moulded string at the base.

And the last photo, taken in 2016, with its next door neighbour, Library Cottage - article coming up next. 

  

Umbrella Cottage, Lyme Regis, Dorset

I came across this some years ago whilst walking down into Lyme from the bus stop just outside of the town. It's a private residence, and I was completely entranced by its 'hobbit-like' look. Some of the features, such as the door and front windows, look rather old and I thought it may have been a toll house at one time, which made some sense as the nearby Cobb Road was once a toll road. However, although some sources say that it is a toll house, there are other sources that cite it to be a deliberately built Cottage Orne - a romantic vision of picturesque rustic which was fashionable during the Regency era. Further research revealed its origins as a gardener's cottage, but alterations by the architect Arnold Mitchell turned it into this delightful and quixotic cottage.

Now a Grade II listed building, it was probably built in the early 19th century. A one storey building, it comprises a roughly octagonal front portion with the roof carried down to wooden posts, producing its umbrella look, a central oblong wing with another 'umbrella' portion at the rear. Roughcast clad, it sports a thatched roof throughout and the front portion contains wood casements and a carved door with a diamond shaped panel above.

I should imagine that the central part was the original - and much smaller - gardener's cottage (which would have been older than the 19th century dating) and that Arnold Mitchell had added the hobbit-like sections onto it.
 

I thought that the gate (below) belonged to the cottage, echoing the shape of the roofs, but later realised my mistake. It does in fact belong to the house called Higher Cobb, once called Little Cliff. I'm going to add the photos in though, as Higher Cobb was also designed by Arnold Mitchell, and I really like them. Please don't quote me on this, but it occurred to me that the gardener's cottage may well have been part of the Higher Cobb estate for their gardener. Just a thought.
 

And another view of the gate, with Umbrella Cottage next door.

Altogether a delightful happenchance on my way to somewhere else, which I hope you've enjoyed too. :)