What makes living in a 'cottage' so different to living elsewhere?
Well, a cottage is usually quite small and cramped; like ours.
It's also usually quite old; like ours (250-300 years?).
It usually has a few old fruit trees dotted around, and a small area where vegetables are grown; like ours.
It probably has a few Hens scratching about; like ours (used to have).
A cottage will be dusty on account of its open fires; like ours.
It will have dog footprints and hairs everywhere; like ours.
It will be cluttered on account of the lack of space; like ours.
The cottage itself will probably have lumps, bumps, and cracks; like ours.
There's bound to be a Cat or two wandering around; ours once did.
It will have ancient low beams holding up the floor and roof; like ours.
The flagstone floors, or quarry tiles, will be freezing cold; like ours.
And if you are lucky enough to live in a cottage which is anything like the above, it will have been offering a wonderfully cosy place for families to live for centuries; just like ours.
34 comments:
That looks idyllic. Lots of lovely spring green and Billy looks quite at home.
Looks perfect to me.
As I have said before I would love to see some 'inside' photos
It's lovely at the moment; especially when the sun shines.
Not much can be improved, we rather like all its blemishes.
I'll try to remember to post some interior shots.
Oh how fortunate you are to have such an idyllic Cottage Life! I miss our Historic Home... as fancy as this Luxury new built Home is it just cannot compare!
Aww, and a Billy to romp across the grass! If I didn't love my capsuled living in my art deco apartment, the above would be the next best thing. Of course it would mean uprooting Abroad as nothing as evocative can be found around these parts.
Yes, it's much admired, but people do tend to be wearing rose tinted glasses when they visit.
I hadn't realised that Billy was there until I processed the picture. Buying furniture and decor for your Art Deco apartment must be terrific fun. I think I'd really enjoy that!
The home of local yokel leaning on his hoe, faded beret at a slope, rosey cheeked wife at his side and a bunch of little yokels romping with the dogs.
It sounds wonderful. You do have running water?
Oh and an indoor toilet?
They're both on order; the pipes need to be brought from Paris.
The situation is everything. In your mind transfer your cottage to the Orkneys in winter. I spoke to two women from there who were musicians performing in Vienna a few years ago and asked them how they liked it. One said it rains 300 days of the year. Not to mention the depressing gloom and lack of sunlight and the howl of the gales . . .
Life in a Bothy could still be cosy. A small room with a blazing fire and a storm lashing at the one tiny window. There's a certain amount of romance in all that.
Ah bliss Cro but I have now left the farm. But at least I don't have to clean out and relight the wood burner to get warm, I just switch on the central heating. But I do miss my lovely Aga.
Spounds a little like ours, except for the dogs and cat, plus we have the added bonus of a leaky roof when it rains!
I don't mind cleaning the woodburner. I burn very hot, and there's very little ash left. With the nice weather we haven't lit it for several days.
We've had the leaking roof too. We re-did the roof about 20 years ago, and it's now as dry as a bone. Thank goodness.
Your descriptive words are so full of love for the place you chose to call home.
We liked old when we were young. We now like modern, clean and well heated and cooled. But having said that, I used to dream of an English stone cottage where clearly I would not survive in just shirts.
It's by far the nicest home I've ever owned. I've had much bigger, and much smarter, but here is perfect.
I much prefer old to new. I like 'character', which they no longer incorporate into houses.
What a lovely photo with Billy bouncing across the lawn!
Did you buy yours at The Chelsea Flower Show?
He makes the photo!
No, I couldn't afford their's. It was covered in 300 year old tiles @ £50 each.
I have a settler's cottage late 1800s...new by European standards. Very few left. Most of them got destroyed in bush fires or are abandoned wrecks. Mine was part renovated when I bought it.Very few original features left. The original long drop was still here though..It amazes me how pioneers brought families up in these places. Very hard yakka for the women with no mod cons or electricity. Nevertheless I like the feeling of an old house knowing there were so many families who lived here. Found a few old buried ink bottles but no dinosaur bones as yet Diprotodon bones have been found in this area but not at my place.
Our house is basically one room. It originally had a barn attached (which has long gone). The huge fireplace was the kitchen, and a stone sink was where everything was prepare etc. There were no windows into the main room. You cannot imagine anything more primitive.
Sound like home and comfy.
Coffee is on
It's lovely but most importantly it's home and it's your safe place. Billy looks to be right at home too give him a hug from me.How are the veggies coming along mine seem all fine thus far.
I'm Smiling because tho' Beloved, our Historic Home was a Labor of Love with the emphasis often on Labor! *Winks*
Cosy, cosy, cosy.
Yes, Billy is very much at home. He loves it here, and is getting to know every nook and cranny of the surrounding landscape.
Haddock's doing well. I shall even have a few yellow courgettes in a few days time. It's been perfect growing weather here.
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