It's early morning and I am writing this with trusty coffee in hand after taking Chris to the station. It's too early and dark to sort the field out and true to form the snow is back with a vengeance.Arfon stopped me the other day to talk about our cottage's history. He remembers the place very well when he was a child as his aunt Nora lived here. The kitchen window (above) used to be the cottage door, which as you can see opened directly onto the lane. Apparently in ancient days when the cottage was an unofficial "pub", beer was sold to passers by through a small window in the door!
The original cottage was built in 1674 then remodelled in 1864. The inscription of IN VINO VERITAS above the front door refers to cottage's alcoholic history!
Arfon said he will dig some old family photographs of the place. Interestingly, where our small cottage back garden now stands was a cow byre and a pig sty.....as small as the cottage was (is) the place was in fact a small holding complete with cattle, pigs and poultry.
The animals are still coping well with the cold. Above Boris and Gloria are looking rather depressed with the whole snow thing! I will be taking the dogs out early today as I am off to the local hospice for an interview to join their nurse bank, extra shifts will be good as I need to think of organising pig fencing before Birdy and Margo's arrival!
Albert is bouncing back a litttle. Three weeks after his surgery, his leg is incredibly stiff and thin but he is putting a little more weight though it now and is more playfull and assertive with the dogs. As I am writing this he is being dragged around the living room on his back after firmly clasping Meg's beard in his claws.
The history of your place is so neat.I have to laugh because folks here think a house is old if it's 50-100 years old! Question: Did the stone mason finish the quote at the well?? (In aqua sanitas.)
ReplyDeleteOh, and glad to see Albert is bouncing back at least a little.
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