Hellifield Peel

[Nimster]

Karen - well done. You've done a beautiful job. We all agreed you were very brave to take on such a massive project, but it was worth it in the end. I actually cried a bit as you now have my dream home I'm trying to convince MrN to do something similar but he just muttered something about EH and madness :roll:

You may be mortgaged to the hilt, but living in a house like that, it's got to be worth living on value beans!

 

[L1zzy]

Karen and Francis you did a GRAND JOb - its lovely and everyone in my office has been talking about it this morning. Its such a romantic place and whats more you preserved this sense of place throughout the project with the TLC you gave . I thought your stone masons 9the 2 brothers) were particularly great . I hope you don't have to live on Fish Fingers for too long .....an inspiration to those of with only Grade 2 cottages to fret over!

 

[KN]

Can I come out of hiding now?

Thanks every one for the positive comments. Wasn't sure what everyone would think.


http://homepage.mac.com/philipdavis/English%20sites/2087.html

Not sure if this will work but it is a link to the web about licence to crenellate.

Have a website is anyone is interested http://www.peelcastle.co.uk

Living on beans still, anyone have any money making ideas?

What did you think to the More4 programme after? Don't know if we would have gone on GD with the Trade Secrets being invented as an after thought. They haven't even been here or met us.
I'd rather have seen a debate with English Heritage and interested bodies least that would have been constructive.

Karen


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[Nemesis]

I haven't yet seen the prog, have it on video to watch - have you got any further with the damp issues yet?

 

[Nimster]

I wouldn't worry about the Trade Secrets if I were you. I watched it and thought that some of their suggestions were just unworkable. The idea of keeping the building as a stabilised ruin and building something glass and modern inside it was something that had occurred to me, but wouldn't have been possible with the internal walls that were still in place.

I kind of agreed with Naomi about using a York Stone floor in the hall, but it's YOUR HOME, not mine or hers, so who are we to say how it should be done. It looks fantastic and you like it, so don't listen to people who don't share your taste. I think the decor you used is lovely - very simple and clean. Blue or green windowframes for goodness sake....... hardly traditional.

By the way, you were absolutely right not to limewash the stone mullions - they look amazing. I'm so jealous. Makes our Grade II listed cottage look like a garden shed

Well done again. I notice you are planning on doing B&B. I won't come and stay as you won't be able to get me out again

 

[KN]

Nemisis - We need a very long ladder to get up there to look so not yet. Rain/wind hasn't been as bad recently so the windows haven't leaked.

The whole house is still drying out.

 

[Nemesis]

We had a window installed a number of years ago and found it leaked water into the internal wall at the bottom.

Cause - a tiny gap in the bedding mortar which was allowing in driving rain.

Once that was fixed there was no problem.

 

[KN]

Thanks Nimster

The entrance hall was made up of second hand green slate that was already shaped. We were following an Edwin Lutchyns school of thought there. Also we had run out of mony. :wink:
It had just been washed and was wet for the filming so it isn't actually shiny.

The B&B idea is to help fund finishing the house, either that or I need to get a job. Then I can't be at home to enjoy the house and the kids.

Perhaps I could do cream tea's this weekend for the people who know where we are.

Karen

 

[skier-hughes]

I'd certainly pop in for tea and cake on my way past, just to marvel at it all.

I kind of liked the shiny floor!

Graham

 

[KN]

Graham.

I'd better get baking but the Aga's in bits on the kitchen floor still.
Funny how we had a lovely one in the film though :wink:

Karen

 

[plumbers mate]

I thought the prog after grand Designs was a couple of females who had no idea what they were talking about pretending they were in the Weekend Guardian magazine.
One actualy said it would have been better left to fall into a heap of rubble - not a historian then and the would have preferred a glass box house inside - no soul or heart there either.

I was actualy a bit disappointed that they didn't find any ground archaeology around the site - but I bet Karen and Co weren't (although it could have doubled as a Time Team special - hey, they could have built a whole series of programmes about the site ....................

I love Lutyens work as at Holy Island Castle (there are a couple of bus shelters by him on the (old) A1 just south of Morpeth too) and no matter how wide the vista from the new roof terrace of the peel is, it can't beat the view from one of the toilets in Holy Island Castle. That loo-room has a round window and as you sit there, rather than reading the paper, you can look out of the window and, perfectly framed for you, there is a view of Bambro' Castle. Makes you tarry for a while longer than you need to!

 

[piper]

It looks absolutely wonderful, especially the staircase, but one can't single out anything because it is all completely right - many, many congratulations. I only managed to see the last half-hour, because of an orchestra rehearsal. Why does GD have to be on a Wednesday??!
Has anyone on the Forum got a DVD recording of the programme they would be prepared to lend me for a short time? (contact off-list to exchange addresses etc.) We have no video, or DVD recorder, but can play DVD's on the computer.
I always have many detailed questions after the few GD programmes I've been able to watch - and they are certainly not answered in the magazine. We always see the disasters and setbacks - before the final commercial break the place is left massively over-budget and still a building site, and then Kevin goes back at the end and it's all beautiful - with fabulously expensive-looking fittings and decoration. I always want to see the final stages of how it got like that (including putting in a mock-up Aga for the cameras?? :wink: )

 

[Nemesis]

The roof is off... the architect has walked out... the builders have gone bust... they are massively over budget... and winter is closing in...

Well, if it all went right it wouldn't be telly would it!

Ev

 

[Nimster]

Piper - I think it's on More4 tonight if you have Freeview?

Just checked, 10pm tonight:

http://www.channel4.com/4homes/ontv/grand-designs/index.html

 

[biffvernon]

What did you think to the More4 programme after?

Who was that bimbo on the sofa? What a wasted opportunity. More 4 should give us more, EH stuff as you suggest or techie information. I'm also frustrated at the dumb down approach of the Grand Designs Magazine. That's also a place where one could go further than a mainstream TV programme but too often it just gives froth about personalities. (End of rant)
Well done Karen. Get in touch if you want to know how we run our B&B

 

[biffvernon]

Blue or green windowframes for goodness sake....... hardly traditional.

Actually, that was the one comment from the bimbo that might have been worth following up. White paint was the commonest colour in the 18th century, but when the synthetic dyestuff industry got going in the early 19th century, the fashion changed towards rich colours, 'Invisible Green' being particularly popular on windows. It wasn't till after World war II that white exterior joinery became dominant again, with the large scale production of 'brilliant white' TiO2 pigment.

I rather liked the 'white paint - that's what developers do' comment

 

[KN]

Biff

I painted all those windows.(off white) Think it will be a few years hopefully before I have to climb a ladder and think about a new colour. It was easier off the scaffolding but time was running out before it was taken down. No time to wait for approval from EH.

1805 was the date that EH approved for outside work. We have an etching from Whittakers Craven of the house from then, wonder what colours the windows would have been.

We use to live outside Newark so you aren't far away at our last house.
Any B&B tips ?

Karen

 

[Gareth Hughes]

We use to live outside Newark so you aren't far away at our last house.
Any B&B tips ?

Karen

Ah, so it is that Francis Shaw!

Hmmm. I'd better say nothing (though the house looked excellent)

 

[MdB]

Have a website is anyone is interested http://www.peelcastle.co.uk

Doesn't seem to work

 

[piper]

I'm also frustrated at the dumb down approach of the Grand Designs Magazine. That's also a place where one could go further than a mainstream TV programme but too often it just gives froth about personalities. (End of rant)

Next time anyone buys a copy of Grand Designs magazine, count the pictures of our Kev in it. Last one I counted got to about 30.

Nimster: thanks for the reply, but we don't have freeview either, so the DVD appeal still stands. I am therefore also unable to comment on the bimboes on sofas.
I can comment on the website though - very good, and it seems to work fine.