I have known, and used, the word 'twitten' since I was very small, it is a Surrey/Sussex word that is now occasionally found elsewhere on account of national mobility. However, I still find lots of people who have never heard the word.
A 'twitten' is simply a very narrow footpath; sometimes with houses on one side, but often without.
Here in Brighton they tend to be pathways in front of terraces of small (tiny) houses that have no road access. Perfect for those who haven't a car. This one above (Frederic Gardens) is a good example, as the houses have no tall walls in front, and can be photographed.
Another, with their backs opposite our house (Crown Gardens below), have the houses all hidden behind tall fencing, but peer over and you'll see that they're very 'cute'. Lady M rented one of these when she first attended the nearby Brighton Art College.
There are others that are equally beautiful, and they are highly sought after by commuters.
Oh to live in a Sussex twitten (with a tiny fire in a tiny hearth) now that Winter's here!
So, that's it. 'Twitten' explained.
A wonderful word for a snicket or ginnel.
ReplyDeleteOr a grumpet or smudgekin.
DeleteI suspect you made those two up.
DeleteWe have many of those narrow lanes between houses here but nothing as picturesque as yours and certainly without those elegant houses. Twitten. I have learnt a new word which I may or may not remember.
ReplyDeleteYou could start using the word... it might catch-on!
DeleteFolly is often used in North East Essex.
ReplyDelete'Folly' meaning a Twitten?
DeleteIndeed
DeleteWe used to cut through all the twitten's around the lanes, very spooky at night, lol
ReplyDeleteBrighton Art College brings back memories, I won a place there when I was quite young after winning an art competition with a newspaper, can't remember the paper now.
Living here all my life I take no notice of all these things, you are bringing them all to life once again for me,lol
Briony
x
Someone asked me for directions recently, and I told them to cut through the twitten. They looked at me blankly!
DeleteLady M did her Foundation course at the Art College. Maybe you knew each other.
In Sheffield we would call a twitten a "gennel" and in Hull it would be a "tenfoot".
ReplyDeleteGoodness! I didn't know they had so many different names.
DeleteWhere do these tenants park their cars?
ReplyDeleteHopefully they don't own cars, otherwise I have no idea.
DeleteI only recently learnt about twitten's .... I think it was on a house tv programme. Very pretty ..... these things are what make the UK what it is .
ReplyDeleteDoes Lady M still paint/draw Cro ? XXXX
They lovely little houses... but oh so tiny. You can hardly move in them.
DeleteThat thar's a ginnel or a passway [short first 'a' as in donkey]....
ReplyDeletethere's two in Swaffham that have front doors opening onto them....
how the heck do you move home.... and you are forced to use single beds [you gan get a double matress in, it bends.... but a solid double frame, forget it.
My late brother had one.... the bed went in the front window [which was upstairs!]
Ginnel or Gennel seem popular. As for moving house, if you owned one in the middle, you wouldn't be too popular with the removal Co.
DeleteYes Sheffield had ginnels and plenty of them
DeleteNo, not heard of twittens and spell check dislikes the word. Interesting. A little like some London mews housing?
ReplyDeleteHmmm, not really. A Mews house usually has an integral garage. These twitten houses are just tiny Victorian cottages.
DeleteI've been following your posts about Brighton with interest, Cro as I was born and brought up in Brighton. My Grandparents moved out of Chelsea and bought a house in Upper Gardner Street, so not that far away from where you are now. My father was a choirboy at St Nicholas. Church and my parents were married there. I was married in St Peter's. I remember so much about it there and certainly know the word 'Twitten'. In fact my Grandmother used it and her family originated in Essex. The North Laine area, as it is now known (again) had its 'down' moments but is now thriving once more and well sought after. It's interesting to read about so much about your experiences of of the area I know so well.
ReplyDeleteI just noticed that the BN1 post code (ours) is amongst the Top 10 most desirable in the UK; according to The Sunday Times. Can't be bad, can it! The North Laine is really thriving.
DeleteNew word for me. Sweet little places tucked behind that white picket fence though.
ReplyDeleteYes, they're cute little homes, but not easy to live in; unless one is a sole resident.
DeleteI am so drawn to small, cottage style homes. I almost bought, what is referred to in Canada as a "wartime house", 25 years ago. It was back in my single days and this little 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom house completely charmed me. The price was right as well. A friend convinced me it was a bad investment just before I put ink to paper. He was probably right but I still think about that charming little, almost mine, house.
ReplyDeleteSuch homes would obviously be very 'cosy', but I think the lack of space would eventually get on one's nerves.
DeleteI have never heard that word before Cro - nor have I seen 'alleys' quite as narrow as this - but they are delightful.
ReplyDeleteThey're very much a part of the area where I live. Nice to look at, but probably not so nice to live in.
DeleteThese very quaint (small) jewels of a home are new to me. What is the square footage? The trade-off seems to be small size for location. Are the narrow passages lighted at night?
ReplyDeleteI have no idea of the total Sq footage, but the rooms in the smaller houses are probably no more than 12ft by 12ft. As for lighting; no.
Delete12ft by 12ft sounds fine to me. My living room, which is the biggest room in my home is 12ft by 10ft and it's also my dining room.
DeleteJust checked with Pirate..he is a Kentish Man..had heard it but didn't know what it meant.
ReplyDeleteThe back lanes in the south Wales valley village I lived in were called gwli...from gulley I think
That's a nice looking word. Gwli. I wish I spoke Welsh.
DeleteA new word for me but so appropriate for such cuteness. The little cottages and their aspects are the stuff of storybooks, cubby houses really, and I can see myself daydreaming about living the tiny life in one. If I was a tiny person, that is.
ReplyDeleteThey really are fairy tale houses. Some have Bow Windows which makes them even more beautiful.
DeleteI have never heard "twitten" before, I would call those narrow lanes "alleys". The houses are very nice to look at.
ReplyDeleteThey are narrow alleys, but under a local name. People here are very protective of the word 'Twitten'.
DeleteIve always called those narrow lanes a Ginnel
ReplyDeleteI've not heard the word 'ginnel', but it seems well used; even as far as Canada.
DeleteAnother term used in West Yorkshire is Snicket
ReplyDelete