There are little bits of 17th century Bath tucked away amongst the 18th. Some hide in plain view, others hide around the corner. The people who live in this bit are friends of mine.
I thought your title read 'white lies'. I was struggling to figure what you were doing with this post. I'm going to guess that if you look even closer at the place your friends live, you will make discoveries that well and truly predate the 17th century! It would be very cool to live within such antiquity.
I knew this place before they moved in. It turned fro a 17th century Flemish weavers complex into a traditional shoe and boot shop. It was then split up into different areas but I knew it before.
I was reading about the origins of lias, which is the early Jurassic period. 300 years ago was a long time, esp. by our standards here in the US. 178 million years ago is even longer. The claim is that layer of limestone is rich with fossils. I'm not advocating ripping the wall down, of course, but the idea of those old walls containing secrets even older than themselves is an exciting thing, isn't it?
Have you heard about fossil hunting at Lyme Regis? All the cliffs are made of Blue Lias and the whole area is teeming with fossils. That long stretch of the South coast is called the 'Jurassic Coast'. White Lias has some fossil, but nowhere near as much as the softer Blue.
Same mistake I made as Debby: read "White lies" :-) "Lias" I had to look up - found "Lias slate" and hope that is right. Wonderful that you allowed to enter that lovely house to visit your friends.
Idyllic corner of Bath. It reminded me of Whitby, my little cottage of long ago with similar windows to the white house. Also of course the squashing together of houses to fill every available corner in a town.
Oh, I see. I don't think people emptied their pots out of the window as much as 'historical' films would suggest. You would not last very long in the neighbourhood if you did.
I thought your title read 'white lies'. I was struggling to figure what you were doing with this post. I'm going to guess that if you look even closer at the place your friends live, you will make discoveries that well and truly predate the 17th century! It would be very cool to live within such antiquity.
ReplyDeleteI knew this place before they moved in. It turned fro a 17th century Flemish weavers complex into a traditional shoe and boot shop. It was then split up into different areas but I knew it before.
DeleteI was reading about the origins of lias, which is the early Jurassic period. 300 years ago was a long time, esp. by our standards here in the US. 178 million years ago is even longer. The claim is that layer of limestone is rich with fossils. I'm not advocating ripping the wall down, of course, but the idea of those old walls containing secrets even older than themselves is an exciting thing, isn't it?
DeleteHave you heard about fossil hunting at Lyme Regis? All the cliffs are made of Blue Lias and the whole area is teeming with fossils. That long stretch of the South coast is called the 'Jurassic Coast'. White Lias has some fossil, but nowhere near as much as the softer Blue.
DeleteMy daughter and my son-in-law go to that area and have made some nice finds. I hope to see it with my own eyes one day.
DeleteYour friends have an important role to maintain a lovely and historic gem of a home. I imagine 2 floors and a fireplace.
ReplyDeleteYes, there is a huge fireplace.
DeleteSame mistake I made as Debby: read "White lies" :-) "Lias" I had to look up - found "Lias slate" and hope that is right. Wonderful that you allowed to enter that lovely house to visit your friends.
ReplyDelete...you are allowed ...
DeleteI like the 'white lies'. Lias is a limestone, not a slate.
DeleteIdyllic corner of Bath. It reminded me of Whitby, my little cottage of long ago with similar windows to the white house. Also of course the squashing together of houses to fill every available corner in a town.
ReplyDeleteI have never been to Whitby. Pre planning was good for quirkiness... until the 1960s...
DeleteIt wouldn't have been very clean in the 17th Century.
ReplyDeleteIt was probably as clean then as it is now. Buildings became black when the Victorians burned coal. I spent a few years cleaning them up.
DeleteI was thinking of them emptying the chamber pots out of the windows.
DeleteOh, I see. I don't think people emptied their pots out of the window as much as 'historical' films would suggest. You would not last very long in the neighbourhood if you did.
Delete