Period Projects

[Flyfisher]

I'm sure many people here are familiar with multi-year period property projects, though probably not on the scale as that taken on by Mary Savidge in the 1960s. I'm sure it has been mentioned here before but I noticed this short report today and thought it worth mentioning again:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-39083979

 

[malcolm]

May Savidge comes across as brilliantly nuts for taking on the project in her later years. It is good the house was completed. There was an old news piece about her: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8w7rCAM9RuE This one is worth a look too as it shows a more current status: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeYJEnlYvX0

 

[mims&pip]

Thanks for posting the links, FF and Malcolm

I remember the admirable May Savidge from before, not least because her experience was very similar to that of a previous owner of the house we used to own in Essex.

Our Tudor building was originally in Billericay, but was saved from demolition in 1938 by a chap who was a master builder. He transported it in pieces to the other side of Essex where he rebuilt it, teaching his sons the trade in the process.

When complete, it was reputed to be the first house in Essex with an outdoor swimming pool :roll: The pool was filled in during WW2 as it was believed the German bombers may use the reflection of the water to guide them into London.

A descendent of the master builder starting writing a book on the subject, a portion of which I once found, but he sadly never completed it.

Mims x

 

[MikeG]

A big old Essex farmhouse (next building along the road from me) was towed fairly intact behind a team of horses some half a mile up a muddy track to be re-erected on a new brick plinth. This to suit a new bride who found the house to be very isolated.......and it happened in the early to mid 19th century. I'd have loved to have seen that.

 

[paulc]

It would appear that Christine Adams (the niece that finished the rebuild) ran a B&B in Ware Hall until very recently.

 

[LadyArowana]

Also works with churches in the path of a volcano http://articles.latimes.com/1990-05-05/news/mn-307_1_congregational-church

 

[Zebra]

Gosh, that's an amazing story. What a project!

 

[JBean]

We used to live in New England where until recently it was still really common for people to jack up houses and move them to a new plot. Even when we were there (early 2000s), Cambridge MA used to see 3 or 4 a year moved. But moving them made them subject to 'code' requirements (basically building regs), which greatly discouraged the practice. It seemed amazing to us - so it's fascinating to see that it does happen in the UK too.