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Mark-Allison — Old Cottage
Published: 2011-09-04 10:42:00 +0000 UTC; Views: 1590; Favourites: 18; Downloads: 226
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Old Cottage in Oxfordshire, UKRelated content
Comments: 43
How beautiful. Yes, there's nowhere like the UK for these incredible old homes. Really lovely shot Mark
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Thanks May, Clifton Hampden is full of old cottages like that, I wouldn't want their heating bill in the winter though!
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Does the heat escape through those rooves? Oh central heating, how I yearn for thee!!!
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Well I would imagine that it does, plus the windows are wooden framed and not double glazed obviously, and the only insulation inside the cavity of the walls is horse hair. I'll bet it's freezing in winter and stifling hot in the summer! You don't need central heating over there though do you?
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Wow, I didn't know about the horse hair. How incredible!!! And yes, I see about the double glazing.
No, we don't *need* central heating but I sure would love it in the winter. Admittedly the winter is short but I feel the cold very badly. Seems wrong to just have a heater on for me though - hubby works until 1.30 am. No amount of warm clothing makes any difference to me. Me - the one that used to deliver newspapers in the UK with no socks inside my wellies LOL
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Yes, that's what they used 2, 3, and 4 hundred years ago for insulation, horse hair. And the thing with this cottage is that it's a "Listed Building". Over here that means that there is a preservation order on it and no one, not even it's rightful owner, can change anything about the property. If the window frames rot then they have to be replaced with something that is like the original frames, same with the doors, the roof, everything. Even inside it has to stay the same, it can be redecorated obviously, but the owner can't knock down a dividing wall between two small rooms to make one large room for example. Anything that is over a certain age and is of historical interest/importance gets a preservation order slapped on it.
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Wow, how interesting! My paternal grandmother lived in a little old cottage on the south coast somewhere - she married again and I only saw it once before we moved to Australia. It had been 2 cottages knocked into 1, obviously before these rules were brought in. The doors were so low that I had to duck to walk through them, aged 15 and not tall with it. The stairs to the bedrooms were treacherous! Tiny treads, not uniform in width and the staircase turned a couple of times in its short journey.
She had the black beams across the ceilings. It was so gorgeous. But quite dark inside of course.
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Yes these orders are relatively new, about 40 or so years I think. My mother and step father used to have an old cottage that was 17th century, they didn't live in it, they rented it out, they lived in a nice, new, warm, luxurious bungalow! LOL But the cottage was very much as you described, I can remember the death trap of a winding staircase with narrow treads and having to duck my head everywhere. That's the only reason I know about the horse hair, that was what insulated this place. These old places are beautiful to look at inside and out, but I wouldn't want to live in one if I couldn't do anything with it! LOL
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LOL - wise parents! I'm starting to think that I wouldn't want one after all this lifetime's dream after all. Maybe a modern replica with all mod cons inside. There are a couple of huge tudor-styled mansions fairly near to us. If I win lotto then one of those will do me
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Yes, a modern replica would do nicely thanks! LOL I'm like you, cannot stand the cold, or draughts, or being wet and uncomfortable in any way! Luxury over history any day! LOL
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Totally!!! Perth is beautiful and the weather is brilliant but it does get cold at night for the 3 months of winter and that is not fun
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The last 3 winters here have been horrendous! Usually our winters are wet and mild, maybe the odd day of snow and frost but nothing to write home about. But the last 3 years we have had literally 4 months of freezing weather, and heavy snowfall from December until the end of March. I hate it, in fact I'm coming to stay with you for 3 months at the end of November! LOL
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LOL We don't have a spare bed but you'd be safe and warm under the patio all night from November to February for sure!
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Sounds good, you don't have man eating possums or anything nasty sneaking around at night though do you?? LOL
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ROFL Who's been telling you stories about Oz? Nope, none of that! There are redback spiders but I've only seen 2 in 39 years and they don't go walkabout looking for trouble.
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That's ok then, under the patio it is! LOL
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I'll tell David to expect a visitor and I bet you he believes me!
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LOL,... tell him to get a few tinnies in and I'll see him in November! LOL
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I will not!!! You mention tinnies and he's liable to make *me* sleep on the patio! ROFL
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Ok, no tinnies then, I'll bring some proper English tea instead! LOL
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Ha ha! OK, that's a deal. David is worried that our little banter about you visiting is being taken seriously at the UK end. I've assured him we're just having a laugh
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Tell David he can rest assured that we're just having fun! LOL As much as I hate the winter, I hate flying even more, I will get in an aircraft and endure it when needs must, but no amount of need could persuade me to sit on one for 18 hours! LOL
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A 10 hour flight was our longest ever. And we'd had a 3 hour and a 1½ hour before it, leaving home at midnight. Never again! Half way there I felt like standing up and screaming 'Let me oooooooooooooooout!!!' But we were over water so it would have been a wet landing and a very long swim!
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I just couldn't do it full stop! 3 hours is my longest and that bored me rigid! It wouldn't be so bad if I could sleep, but I just can't on a plane for some reason.
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Oh they are so darned cramped aren't they? I thought I could sleep anywhere but even fully dosed up on travel meds which make me dopey I can't do better than sporadic snoozing. I'm only 5' 4" in the old currency - imagine being taller! It's not having my head properly supported that does me in. I get stiff necks that truly cripple me and I'm too scared for that to happen on holiday.
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Cramped?? Sardines get more room in the tin!! I can't sleep because I can't relax on them, plus I'm 5' 10" in old money (I can't do metric lol) and the whole experience for me is just plain uncomfortable! I'm waiting for the day that they finally invent the thing that they use on Startreck, "Beam me over to Oz Scottie!" LOL
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It will certainly be a different story then, yes! Once it's thoroughly tested that is!!!!
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You wouldn't want to be the first to try it would you! LOL
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Absolutely. Not! 
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Yes, very quaint, and very expensive to heat in the winter I should think! 
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Now this is why I miss the English countryside so much. Lovely shot.
I think I will now book that fight home now.
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Thanks very much! I have never seen old cottages like this anywhere else but England, so I can imagine that it does make you kind of homesick
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Yep. I miss good old Somerset right now.
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Ah Somerset, where the cider apples grow, a beautiful county.
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Cute! Reminds me of the gingerbread house
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Yes, I guess it does a bit!
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Those types of roofs will never stop amazing me. This is a really lovely capture, the scene is beautiful on its own but the photo is so crisp and colorful, very lovely.
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They're incredible aren't they! So charming and "olde worlde"' and so full of character. Thank you very much for your comment, I really appreciate it.
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