When there are gaps in my blogging, there are usually good reasons for it.  Then, I’m never quiet sure where to jump back in.  So I’ve decided to let you see what we’ve been up to.

Set on the ‘old’ bridge over the Avon Water, this is our new house. 

Built sometime in 1600’s or 1700’s then rebuilt in early 1800’s due to fire.  It was originally a wollen mill.  There is a lade (mill-race) that runs under the house and behind the hedge you see on the right of this photo.  The mill wheel was housed in, what is now, my kitchen but It has not been used as a mill for many, many years.  When we bought the house last year, it was a 4 bedroom house.  We have successfully renovated it into the current state of a 3 bedroom house… yes, I know, a little backwards considering we have 4 kids.

The door, with my sister standing in it, is the back door, but also the only door into the house.

Since October 2007 we have been renovating the inside.  There was one bedroom on the groundfloor and 3 bedrooms (2 full bathrooms) on the first floor.  We took the downstairs bedroom along with the bathroom and some cupboard space and made a larger kitchen/dining area.  the window for the new kitchen is located on the right of this picture just above the hedge/lade.

The room to the left of the door was the old kitchen.  We are in the process of turning it into a ‘mud/laundry room’.  We have made a new access/doorway into this room which meant breaking through a 20” thick, stone wall.  We will be adding a cloak area and a WC to this room.

Upstairs has only been redecorated by us, but we are applying for planning permission to make another 2 bedrooms in the loft area. (see? there is method in my madness!)

We have done other work in the house, like reopening the fireplace and plastering over old artex, and exposing the stone on the spiral stairwell to try and bring back some of the original features of the house.

So, do you want to see more pictures?