I'll get the negative news out of the way first!
"Dream" House
After the owner confirmed the viewing B and I went along yesterday to view the "tower" house. But there was no-one in! Exterior wise the house looked as perfect as the photos and you could easily access the back garden which was open to the side of the house. (I only poked my head round briefly to see if the owners were in the garden as I didn't want to be accused of trespassing!) Its half an acre and much much better than the photos suggest - there were even ornate "stately home" type fountains!. Although as B said he would be fencing the side access to the garden off if he owned it as there was nothing to stop anyone walking in. We waited for about 25 minutes and chatted to the neighbours a nice couple in their forties who knew little about the owners although they did mention the rather worrying (alarm bells ringing) news that not only had the house been on the market a year ago but it was also on the market the year before as they had viewed it themselves before buying the house next door!! Anyway I tried to arrange another viewing for tomorrow only to get an email this morning from Purple Bricks saying the viewing was cancelled as the house had been withdrawn from the market! All details have already been removed from the website - the owner never even replied to the polite message I had sent after yesterday's failure! In fact now I wish I had taken my camera as I could have got a few photos of the back garden to show you!
Yes, I am very disappointed because I could easily have moved into that house tomorrow. But in a way it is a relief as it was at the very top of our budget and would have depleted our savings a lot. Also we would have to sell this house in one heck of a rush, and probably have strangers trooping round which would be worrying. If I am honest being in the middle of a pandemic is probably not the right time for me to consider moving. Even worse we could have gone ahead with the purchase only to have the owners pull out on us at the last minute. I don't know what happened last year or who pulled out but the house was showing on the website until late last year as sold subject to contract and then eventually disappeared until last week. What we shall do now I really don't know? - no other house locally would ever for me measure up to that one.
For now once plans next door are submitted to the Planning Department we shall fight them all the way. And if as will probably happen, seeing some of the monstrous extensions round here, they get approval we may well just have to put up with the noise, dust and disruption even if it is for months. The trouble is planning regulations seem to have been relaxed that much that "anything goes". We did wonder if the rule that you can't extend your house more than 50% of the original size still existed as they have already exceeded that (or rather they and the people who lived there before). It is difficult to make head or tail of information on planning sites! We may change our minds in a week or so but at the moment my emotions are too high to consider the best course of action.
Note to MillyMollyMandy re: photo size. All being well if you click on the first photo it will take you to a gallery where pictures are a much larger size.
Anyway on Saturday D and I had a nice afternoon out.
We went along to the village of Fillongley, North Warwickshire, in search of a motte and bailey castle. There are two sites where there are earthworks - one at Castle Hills and one at Castle Yard and it is the latter we went to seek as I knew there was a public footpath that crossed it.
Here are the earthworks, banks and ditches. It is believed it was founded by Johannes de Hastings in 1301 and became the Hastings chief residence in Warwickshire.
There are fragments of masonry which appear to be the remains of a rectangular building possibly a keep.
Afterwards we went a walk round the village which was very quiet and made me think it may be worth visiting one of the less well known "black and white" villages in Herefordshire next time we are there.
St Mary and All Saints which I visited a few weeks ago.
Part of Alpha House built 1612.
VJ Day Celebrations at one house.
Bournebrook School by John Cotton 1877
Agnus Dei (Lamb of God) weather vane.
The Statue is entitled "The Family" and is by Graeme Mitcheson (2011)
We walked back through the churchyard - there are two Crosses - one 15th century restored by Bodley Garner 1896.
Reading
I read this book recently on places to see nature in Warwickshire. Many locations I was aware of as they are Warwickshire Wildlife Trust Reserves but I did find quite a few new places to visit in the future.
Garden
Tomatoes are forming at long last!
Phlox and Golden Rod
Water Mint by the pond and
Agapanthus will soon be in flower.
Apologies for some reason several photos seem to have appeared twice! (Really not feeling very with it today - another bad night's sleep!!)
All photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 (I haven't yet had time to upload D's Fillongley photos!)
Reference: The Buildings of England Warwickshire (Pevsner)
Our Warwickshire website
