Introduction

Whilst out walking the dog (not ours, a part-time resident, but more about him later) around the busy harvesting of the wheat last night under this beautiful sky with my husband (M) I made the decision, yes, I am going to write a blog,


So .......................

The original idea to create a blog came from a conversation I had with my sister-in-law, Anne, (check out her blog) a couple of months ago.  We are so a like in our tastes in property and furnishing and we love nothing more than moseying around other properties to gain inspiration for our own homes.  She is already blogging and has sold the idea to me. We are both housey magazine addicts and over the years I have created two large scrap books to inspire me when it comes to creating an affordable look or a change of decor. Having never lived in a period property before, I found that I needed guidance from the scrap books to plan ahead.  We have lots of plans for the house now, but it is a case of affordability, so this blog will grow with the changes as and when we can afford them.  This blog will be very pictorial and mainly about the house, very little about my husband and I, as it will be far more interesting.

                                                                                             



Let me tell you a little about the house. It actually started life in 1825 as a purpose built office for the local solicitor Mr Benjamin Smith(1776-1857) (who's main home was the large and grand "Old Hall" approx 75 yards away). We regard ourselves as the lucky ones, as we are the first people to live in it and make it a home.  Originally, all of the downstairs was used for offices, the main reception area and a huge walk-in safe, whilst upstairs, accessible via a hatch from the main reception, was a toilet and metal racking for archive storage. 

 

We are situated in a little village in  Lincolnshire, England with a population of approximately 430 and the village is thought to be a probable Romano-British settlement, this ideas centres around findings of Roman Samian ware and roof tiles in a local Fen Farm.  

The church (the top of which is viewed from our kitchen and tiny garden) is Norman, Grade I listed and dedicated to Saint Andrew. It has  5 bells and the stained glass in the west window was added in 1854 as testimonial to Benjamin Smith (the solicitor that owned our house) as the promoter of charities and who paid for the 1852 restoration of church.

 

In our lane is a spring well dating from 1711, it is beautifully clear and many a passer by will stop with containers to top up and take home.

  

To the right of our house is the friendly local pub and as a wedding present from our neighbours, they commissioned this picture which incorporates our local surroundings.

You will find many a grander Georgian property in this County, but this place is charming, it creaks and the pipes bark, it needs some work, but it is our much loved home.