Window and door revealed under hangings, what now? Pics!

[jess marley]

Hi all, we found these - blocked up doorway and window in pic 2, hidden under the slate hangings of our flank wall, (which-I hasten to add, we are restoring). I'm in the process of contacting the c.o, but do you think it likely that we'll be allowed to open up the window and door again? Also, will I need planning permission for the window? What fun!

 

[jess marley]

I should add that removing the hideous 70's window to bottom right is part of the plan, as is investigating the large crack running up towards the roof.

 

[jess marley]

hello, anyone out there?

 

[Moo]

Of course there is - lots and lots of us. But probably hanging back waiting for them as knows to say something wise.
Anyway, to start the ball rolling here's a question and a thought:

When were the tiles put on? Seems a pity to put them back.

 

[biffvernon]

waiting for them as knows to say something wise.

That stops any of us saying anything

 

[skier-hughes]

Our house isn't listed, so will be different to yours, but here is our brief story.
We had CO down to advise on our plans, which included changing a blocked up doorway into a window and opening up two blocked up windows.
We had to speak to our building control officer and conform to current regulations, but no planning permission.

Graham

 

[jess marley]

The slates were hung before 1890, this I know as there is a photo showing them as they are today. When restored, as we have done here, they are lovely,

and absolutely typical of old houses round here...
They travel round the front too,

and until yesterday, I had assumed that I would be taking them off, cleaning them up, and putting them back. Now, we just don't know.

 

[chuckey]

Looking at the crack it would seem that the Lh. bit of the house was added on (with out being bonded properly with the Rh. half) and is now settling leftwards.
Frank

 

[jess marley]

Indeed, it's all one extension after another here. Things have, pretty much stopped moving now, but it might explain why someone thought it'd be a good idea to cover the walls up with slate hangings.
ANYWAY, something rather grisly has occured to me, a long time ago, my mum suggested that the trapdoor we found in the back bedroom floor, seen from below here:

...might have been for lowering coffins through. 'No, no!' I scoffed, why, when there is such a serviceable stairwell....only, the doorway we found this weekend is directly underneath said trapdoor.
Suggestions for un-spooky use of doorway and associated trapdoor please.
Something nice and bucolic maybe.

 

[Moo]

waiting for them as knows to say something wise.

That stops any of us saying anything

Fat chance! (and it did get the ball rolling, didn't it?)

 

[Shaun]

In relation to the window and Planning permission, if the house still has 'permitted development' rights then you can unblock the window without planning consent, however Listed building consent is still required . . . .

 

[Penners]

In renovating our current house, I applied for LBC to unblock an existing internal doorway - no problem. Our daughter & her husband applied for LBC to unblock and restore two old windows - no problem. I should add, however, that in their case the timber framing of the windows still exists, buried in daub and rendering.

All you can really do is ask your CO. Bear in mind, however, that the house would have been listed with the door and window blocked up as they are now, so consent won't necessarily be automatic. But I reckon that phrases along the lines of "...in order to restore the original configuration and character of the building..." might help your case along.

As regards the trapdoor location, I have an alternative theory. It could be that the trapdoor replaced an earlier, crude staircase up to the bedroom. If so, then maybe the door was blocked up and moved elsewhere to allow that staircase to be installed.

Just an idea.

 

[Nemesis]

Trapdoors were common to allow furniture to be lifted and yes coffins lowered.

In an old house people will have died there - and others born.

 

[jess marley]

I just measured the trapdoor, and it's only 21 x 27 inches, seems small for most things really ...although I have this mental image of some gibbering loon living above in the gloomy loft swooping a gnarled and filthy hand down through the trapdoor to snatch the hat of unwary visitors..

Got hold of our c.o yesterday, who seemed fairly positive, though obviously I'd need LBC to re-instate both features.
In a similar vein, one of our front bedrooms here has been chopped in half to squeeze a fourth bedroom in. I'm considering returning this room to it's original layout, but don't want to lose a bedroom. One solution would be to include a fourth bedroom out the back in the extension, if we could get planning, any thoughts?

 

[Penners]

My only thought is that - if you're going to lose a fourth bedroom - you'll porbably devalue your property if you don't add it back again somewhere.

A recent article (I think it was in the Sunday Times Property supplement) suggested that an extra bedroom adds about 6% to the value of a house. So if the whole project (ie: reinstating the old large bedroom and constructing the new one at the back) costs you more than 6% of the value of the house, you'll probably be losing money.

But of course that equation doesn't take into account whatever value you place on the amenity while you're living there.

 

[stickybeak]

.

 

[Nemesis]

I'd do a search for Jess - lots of pics and info on other posts.

 

[jess marley]

Sorry, been stuck in the day to day...
The house is on the edge of a small, but rapidly expanding town in Cornwall. It may well have been two houses at one time, there is some evidence for this.
The trapdoor does work, and the hinges look like this:

.
We have been a slaughter-house, malthouse, chall and mow-hay...at varios times.
Got to go, swimming lessons...

 

[Nemesis]

And I think we've already gone through the access for parcels, stores, furniture, ladder access for workers/servants sleeping quarters instead of the main staircase etc.

We have two trapdoors , on in the bothy above the gig house and one was in the hayloft. Once these were used with ladders for access. We still have the hayloft ladder. The bothy had a doorway added at a later date.

Jess - is there any sign above the trap of a beam where a hoist could have been?

 

[Penners]

Jess - is there any sign above the trap of a beam where a hoist could have been?

Or where a noose could have been suspended? :shock: