15th Century Timber-framed Hall House moved to Norfolk

[essexbearhunter]

I don't know if anyone else can remember this:
I caught about 5 mins of it on TV about a year ago when they were doing a review of past episodes of a progamme.

As far as I can remember it went like this:
In 1965 Ware Council wanted to demolish a 15th cent. timber-framed building, which was rescued by an incredible lady, well into her middle years, who got it transported to Norfolk. There , almost single-handed, she rebuilt it, living on site in incredibly primitive conditions until her death. Her niece (from memory) took over and completed it.

I think this is now called Ware Hall House at Plummers Hill, Wells-Next-the-Sea.

I remember being bowled over by the incredible tenacity of the lady and wonder if anyone has any further information- such as what the series was called?

Many thanks
Ian

 

[Nemesis]

If you try a site search you should find out more as I recall it being discussed here at the time.

What search terms to use I can't suggest though!

http://www.glavenvalley.co.uk/warehall/

 

[Flyfisher]

Search for "Ware" or click here

 

[jocelyn plummer]

It was featured on the local news and as part of the Coastal Kitchen programme, maybe 'Look East' could help.

 

[essexbearhunter]

Many thanks for your help.

That worthy institution the Thurton, Ashby & District W.I. had a talk by the niece, Christine Adams and gave a nice report:

The speaker, Christine Adams of Ware Hall, gave
a talk with slides on “The House That May Built”.
This was done as a tribute to her Aunt May who
lived in an old wood framed house in Ware, Hertfordshire
and when its existence was threatened by
road works, she dismantled it timber by timber and
brick by brick and transported it to Wells, where it
now stands. Marking each timber and photographing
each stage of dismantling the beams (which
were fixed by wooden pegs and not nails) she transported
the house in eleven lorry loads to Wells. She
then started to reassemble the house over many
years. When Aunt May died there was still some
work to be done and Christine finished off the task
as her Aunt had asked her to. The house and Aunt
May were featured on Antiques Roadshow in a
special episode on April 29th. This was a fitting
tribute to a lady who had wonderful strength, courage
and patience to complete such a mammoth task

A RootsChat writer added that May got the local Boy Scouts to take it down & number all the parts. That is a bit different to your average Bob-a-Job

 

[Nemesis]

Bob a Job - something else consigned to history!

No bobs now - a shilling wouldn't buy much these days anyhow.
And as for sending little boys around to knock on the doors of strangers to ask if they wanted a job doing... the press would have a wonderful time with that.

I have no doubt Health and Safety and all manner of other things would prevent those without the appropriate certificates, boots, etc from dismantling a building, let alone those of tenderish years.