Just out of interest...

[Gareth Hughes]

At St John, Timberhill the organ is at the diagonally-opposite corner of the building, above the vestry. I suspect the reason for the dormer is one part extra light where there isn't a south window because the porch is in the way, and about eight parts Victorian prettiness.

Finally caught up with the churchwarden at the weekend. Ventilation, was the answer.

 

[Penners]

That's interesting, Gareth, but why would the churchwarden need ventilating?

 

[Feltwell]

That's interesting, Gareth, but why would the churchwarden need ventilating?

Too many cucumber sandwiches.

Or was that the Vicar?

 

[Gareth Hughes]

 

[Feltwell]

That looks to be photoshopped, but I have a horrible feeling that as Gareth has posted it that it isn't.

Edit - it's real.... :roll:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Mary's_Church,_Brentingby

 

[FamilyWiggs]

I thought that, but each dormer is very slightly different.

I suspect it is ghastly reality.

 

[Penners]

That looks to be photoshopped, but I have a horrible feeling that as Gareth has posted it that it isn't

Nope - here it is again. And it has dormers on both sides. I wonder who decided to paint them a lurid red? :?

It's now a private house.

 

[jocelyn plummer]

Holy Smoke, what an eyesore

 

[tobydog]

Now you see it, now you don't!! It may not have dormers but then it was never a church :?

Located some six miles south of Ipswich the Tattingstone Wonder was originally two cottages. In 1790 Edward White, the local squire, did not like his view of the cottages from Tattingstone Place. He decided to add a third cottage and finished them to look like a church by adding a fake tower and flint façade. It has become a famous Suffolk landmark.[1]


From it's Grade II* listing:

Folly church, masking a dwelling (originally 3 cottages). Converted into its
present folly form from an older building circa 1790, by Thomas White of
Tattingstone Place, as cut on a chimney brick with initials T.W. originally
timber framed, the north face, east gabled return and west tower resemble the
nave and tower of a church and are flint faced with gault brick rusticated quoins
and dressings, red plain tiled roof continues through to rear and south of the 3
sided mock tower. Rear chimney stack. Dentilled eaves cornice. Plinth. North
face:- 2 two-light windows, 2-centred heads, rusticated 2-centred arches with
keystones over. There is a similar window of 3 lights with tracery over to the
east face with a circular, square-leaded window above. The 3 faces of the mock
tower have crow stepped crenellations with a gault band under. Stepped
buttresses to angles. Blocked 2-centre arched "Belfry" windows to all faces,
western face has similar windows to 1st and 2nd stages, that to first stage with
leaded lights. Western ground floor window of 3 lights similar to eastern
window. Rear wall, brick, gault dentilled eaves and quoins, 3 first floor
2-light leaded casements, 3 nailed vertically boarded doors and 2 windows to
ground floor. The north, "Church" face can be seen from Tattingstone Place and
forms part of the landscaped park. The tradition is that Squire White said:-
"People often wondered at nothing, so he would give them something to wonder
about." P G M Dickinson. The Little Guides, Suffolk 1957. White's
Suffolk - 1844.

 

[Penners]

I remember the Tattingstone Wonder from my mis-spent youth in Ipswich.

I always felt that the cottages themselves were rather more attractive than the "church".

 

[FamilyWiggs]

I remember the Tattingstone Wonder from my mis-spent youth in Ipswich.

I always felt that the cottages themselves were rather more attractive than the "church".

Well, I hope you told dear old Thomas White of your view in person. :wink:

 

[Keithj]

We looked at a house in Tattingstone before we bought this one in Witnesham. Didn't see that strange sight, though. Isn't it ghastly!

 

[tobydog]

Keith - it's somewhat off the beaten track on the back road between Tattingstone and Stutton. Most people wouldn't look twice at it because you can only see the church view from the road. I assume Thomas White is the correct name of the landowner who made the change because that came from the listing records. Reference to Edward White was copied from somewhere else. Poor proof reading on my part.

 

[Penners]

I notice that what we used to refer to prosaically as Tattingstone Reservoir now has a much posher name - Alton Water.

I've often wondered whether the village name is derived from "tatting", which is a kind of lacemaking, or whether - like so many British place names - it actually comes from a much more obscure and unrelated root.

 

[Gareth Hughes]

I think quite an early example, Ribchester in Lancashire:

 

[tobydog]

Penners - Tattingstone was recorded in Domesday as "Tatituna" or "Tatistuna" so not sure about the connection with lacemaking. If it's any consolation, the chap who had the Tattingstone Wonder built in order to cover up the cottages you preferred, actually lived in Alton Hall which is now at the bottom of Alton Reservoir. Hence the name. Alton Mill was dismantled before the works (took 13 years in all to construct the reservoir and fill it) and rebuilt at the Museum of East Anglia in Stowmarket. Apparently 20 houses and 2 farms are at the bottom as well.

 

[Penners]

I think quite an early example, Ribchester in Lancashire:

Well there's an example of inappropriate modification, if ever I saw one. Ugly catslide dormers, a clocked bunged on the tower any-old-how... What a mess!

 

[Lime]

I like the picnic tables outside the church.