The Romans were renowned for building straight roads and the Fosse Way was one of them, along with Ermin Street and Watling Street, but I don’t know any road named after the last two, although I expect they exist. Later today I was in the past coal mining town of Nailsea where I spent the afternoon looking at a neatly extended semi-detached house in a roman road! The house was sound, as straight as a die and with little evidence of any movement. Some of the double glazing had misted, but that’s not the end of the world. Not a bad house, in a road that here is only a few metres long, unlike the Fosse Way; is this part of it???   more »

I have just been to see a very pleasant and large ground floor flat with an equally large garden that is quite unusual for Clifton. The flat is purpose built, which I rather like and has the benefit of secure parking, which I also like. The flat in particular and the building in general were each reasonably well maintained, so there is nothing for my Client to do, just to sit back and enjoy the peace and quiet of the area…   more »

I found this mid terraced house that I inspected in Knowle today to be in reasonably good condition, but there are some problems that will need sorting out. Despite the rain, there was a clear patch and I was able to get out onto the roof (please don’t mention this to Health and Safety), but it did show that a difficult to access flat roof was not finished to the best of standards. This in itself was not surprising as I found out that the roof void conversion was ‘un-authorised’, no building regulation approval for the fifth bedroom and its ensuite shower room and the stairs leading up to it had low headroom that could easily have been sorted at the time – silly really. The original main bedroom has been subdivided to form a small study, but I think it would be better were it to revert to a large main bedroom. The doors, I felt were a little ‘unfinished’ and I am not a fan of folding doors, no matter how much space they save, and not much here. So, there are things to think about…   more »

If I remember correctly James I of England was in fact also king of Scotland (James VI) but it was the not until the Act of Union in 1707 that unified the two countries, and by then this seventeenth century farmhouse that I have seen to day had already had it’d ninetieth ‘birthday’. Charles I had already galloped through Abbots Leigh on his way to Weymouth, no doubt with Cromwell hot on his heels, possibly waving at the then occupants of the farm, though, of course they should have been on the fields, ploughing. Today the said farmhouse has been modernised and improved, so my Clients will not have to use the ‘bucket and chuck it’ method of sanitation. It was raining, heavily, but the roof was not leaking. The walls a thick, very thick and they have settled and moved, but not to any disastrous extent and, importantly, they were dry. There are masses of outbuildings, so there not going to be much time for looking into history, or anything else for that matter. It was, however a far better house than they were thinking of buying, so I am very pleased for them…   more »

Just been down to Taunton today, not to see any cricket, I don’t think that Somerset were playing, but to look at a fairly large detached 1930’s house that had significant extensions added to it over the past twelve years. The extensions were in keeping, and what were undeniably good second hand stock clay double roman tiles were used to match the existing, but in the end I rather felt that the house should have been entirely recovered with shinny new concrete tiles throughout; somehow it would have ‘lifted’ the property. Sorry, Clients, but the house does need a little bit of ‘TLC’, possibly opening up of the 'hedgery and vegetation' that gives privacy at the front from the road, all to make it a bit more ‘welcoming. Otherwise a pleasant house in a reasonably quiet area and with a pleasant garden, but not quite large enough for a cricket pitch…   more »

I have today been to see a 1930’s style house, but one that was actually built in the 1940’s, 1946, to be exact! It has been occupied by the present vendor for the past fifteen or so years, but they did not build the extension at the side; that was there before them. It turns out to be a pleasantly laid out home, with three reception rooms to compliment the three bedrooms, a cloakroom off the hall, where I like to see them, a neat kitchen and a bathroom that could, perhaps be updated, but then that’s not essential. All in all a reasonable house, that is well presented and in a convenient cul de sac. Now, which way is the office….   more »

I could have been forgiven for thinking that I was going to an Apiary today, and was to then sample some fermented honey, but alas that was not the case! Instead I have just seen a pleasant detached property in a slightly elevated position about four miles from Evesham and it’s ‘Vale’ which is one of England’s largest vegetable plots! The house was built in the 1960’s and has been fairly well maintained externally, but there is a bit of room for improvement internally, which is fine. There are no serious problems for my Client who can now improve the interior and then plan a vegetable garden of their own, as the house sits in a large plot…   more »

A 'bush fire' has been burning in southern Spain in the Sierra Cabrera Mountains and my Client has a house there that has been affected. So would I go and prepare a report for his insurance company, all as a bit of an emergency??? Well, OK, but as I understand the fire was caused by lightening, so an ‘Act of God’ may not be covered. We’ll no doubt say the act of God was the lightening, and then it was the fire that caused the damage It spread through the area as quick as a ‘flash’, no better not use that word, as quick as a fox with a fire just behind it…   more »

After a right royal time yesterday, today I spent today looking at a three bed roomed semi – detached house. Well, it used to be a three bed roomed house, but it has been extended up into the roof space and out into the garden, so it’s bit larger than before it started life. Never mind, it all seemed to fit together quite well and there were no glaring horrors to be seen or found. However, had the roof been recovered with matching new concrete tiles, it would have given the house a real royal finish, but then I would have had nothing about which to complain…   more »

The Duke of Albany was first bestowed on a brother of Robert III of Scotland. Later, Lord Darnley, husband of Mary, Queen of Scots also held the title, which passed to James I. Queen Victoria’s son, Leopold was given the title and I have just been to a road named after him in St Andrew’s. So with much bowing and scrapping I made an inspection of this substantial semi built circa 1880. Although Bristol was heavily bombed during the last war, there was not much evidence of serious damage dating back to that time. The owner has kept the exterior in above average condition, but got rather bored with the interior. So, my Client will be able to start work with the nice things in life, and generally the most expensive, re-modelling and upgrading the house to his own taste…   more »

“What on Earth has Hugh McCalmont got to do with Redland?”, you may ask! So, I’ll tell you, it’s no big secret! Hugh, Mr McCalmont to you, was Lord Chancellor in 1868, and again between 1874 – 1880. and as the First Earl Cairns, this road was named after him! This is where I found a fairly substantial semi with a castellated appearance which my Client is hoping to buy. I could find no real reason why not, as the property was not in bad condition. It’s been modernised and improved, but there are one or two small areas that may turn out to be a little troublesome, but providing my Client goes ahead with eyes wide open, then those little areas of trouble will hopefully be ironed out, and with this in mind my Client can sit back and think of the Chancellor of the Exchequer…   more »

It ain’t bad, it ain’t bad at all, but it ain’t built to the same standard as what the builders of yore would have constructed! I have just been to see one of eight houses built in the late 1960’s, 1967, to be precise by a company from Wiltshire. They used ‘real ashlar’ for the walls, no doubt at the behest of the Planning Authority and installed eight over eight vertical sliding sash windows to replicate those of the Georgian period, except that these were plastic and were double glazed! As I said at the beginning, it was not a bad house and it was largely in good condition. It has a pleasant rear garden, even though it faces north. It is in a remarkably quiet close, despite it’s proximity to the main road. It is within easy access to the City, so my Client can trot off to see how real Georgians built their houses – there’s quite a lot form which to choose and knowingly come back to a very pleasant home…   more »

There are so many café’s opening up in North Street, possibly because of the Tobacco Factory, though I doubt it’s because of the Bristol City Football Club – could be I suppose, but I don’t think so! Why I just don’t know, but I do know that my Client has found an extremely well appointed family house built on land originally owned by the Greville Smyth family, whose ‘seat’ was at Ashton Court. Even though I looked at this house over the weekend, it was a pleasure to do so because I found it largely sound and in good condition; that makes a pleasant change, and for once the weather was good, so I think I’ll just go and have a cup of coffee. Now, where could I go???   more »

Later in the day I trundled down to Backwell, skirting the lorry that had got stuck under and damaged the railway bridge in Station Road to see a very pleasant bungalow built in the late 1960’s, by a builder of repute, and “…ther ain’t many of they around!”. It was absolutely fine and my Clients can go safely ahead with their purchase, because the property was good testament to the builder. It has weathered well, there being hardly a crack anywhere, a roof in fine condition, along with the rainwater goods, replacement windows etc, etc. All my Client has to do, is to modernise it and enjoy the view up towards the woods…   more »

Francis Greenway was an influential Clifton architect who lost his way and started forging financial documents. He was sentenced to death, but this was commuted to 14 years deportation, and he arrived as a ‘gentleman (small ‘g’) convict in Australia! He so impressed the Governor (capital ‘g’, here) McQuarie, that he was allowed to set up an architectural practice, and upon gaining a pardon, he went onto design some of Sydney’s most famous buildings. The property that I saw today was a pleasant garden flat that was reasonably dry, it was dry, and has a large garden with which my Client, a landscape gardener, can do his thing, and maybe he will have a road named after him, as we did for poor old Francis…   more »

Today I have been to see an ex-local authority house in an east Bristol suburb. Like yesterday it was in an area I don’t go through that often. This house was occupied by the vendor who had lived there for some twenty or so years. The house has had the chimney stack re-built during its relatively short life as well as the top of the gable wall! Why the wall was re-built, I don’t yet know, but at least it was sound. The pointing to the brickwork, to the lower section is starting to fail, so in due course it is likely to need rendering. And what about the cavity wall ties? There’s a bit more to it than meets the eye, if you see what I mean!!!   more »

I have been to see 1960's semi-detached house today in a south Bristol suburb. I have driven through the area often in the past, but never down this particular road. It is a pleasant and quiet road, a development that I suspect may have been built by Wimpey Homes, as the houses all looked very 'George Wimpey' in style. This house was sound, except that is for the decoration. The previous occupier had started the redecoration process, but hadn't got that far before it all went pear shaped. My Client will be buying a house that need quite a lot of hard work on it, but all of this is superficial, except for the garden; now that's another matter..   more »

Today I saw a Grade II Georgian styled house in the Chew Valley area. Not such a hot day, so no sauna in the roof void, but it was blowing a gale and there were fairly severe rainstorms, and although getting up on to the roof wasn't so difficult, when up there, one had to stay up there and not get blown off, and this time I tied my ladder in place! The roof does need an overhaul, but otherwise it was not in bad condition. One of the rainwater down pipes was full of water, from bottom to the top, so emptying that will be fun for some one, who'll no doubt get a soaking! It has an extension constructed at the rear with Listed Building consent, but the older section had artificial slate covered roof whilst the new had natural slate and concrete coping stones to the parapet wall whilst the original had ashlar copings. 'Blind' windows were 'designed' into the elevations, because there were blind windows in the original, all at the behest of the Conservation officer. The same council's conservation officer at the time the mill I looked at last week was converted would have been ..”Quite happy for the mill to have fallen in to the ground rather than to see it converted” It was converted, but it just shows with what we have to suffer with 'conservation officers' whims. Still they couldn't take away the very pleasant situation, where I hope that my Clients will be very happy, for years to come...   more »

How I would have liked to have lived in the Merchant Venturer times, when men were men and built houses that were houses! I have been to see one such house today that has been converted into seven flats. I suspect that the original owner might have been turning in his grave when he knew what had happened to his truly magnificent house just off The Downs. It was beautifully designed with generous features and stonework, including 'Corinthian' columned entrance porch. It was converted a few years ago and has been fairly well maintained, but when it was last scaffolded to re-decorate last year, no one sought fit to inspect the roof, which needs the ridge, hip and verges all re-pointing, so scaffolding will have to be erected again. Hey ho! It's off to work we go...   more »

…is not as far as I am aware the first line of a limerick, though of course it could be! The house I have just been to see had a slight odour of drains; I suspect it was rather from lack of ventilation than to anything more disastrous, well I jolly well hope so! However, there are some ‘toiletry’ problems that will need sorting out! It is a mid terraced property in a fairly quiet location, but the road becomes a narrow when cars are parked on both sides of it and it is used as a bit of rat run by commuters between Southmead and Westbury Park, to avoid Henleaze Road. The dwelling was otherwise in reasonable condition. Why was the young man pretentious? He had the road named after himself!!!   more »

It's not often that I get to inspect new property, but occasionally I do and for these and other homes up to about twenty or so years old I have designed a new report for my Clients that I call 'Houseproud!' I used it today. This was a timber framed house built to a seemingly good standard. Timber framed houses have been around since the Elizabethan times, that is Queen Elizabeth I, (1558 – 1603) and they're still standing. I doubt this house will stand up as long, but it jolly well deserves to! It will probably cost 'pence' to heat because of it's thermal efficiency. It's in a quiet area and on a pleasant development where even the site foreman has bought a house, which if nothing else shows faith in his product, no doubt a smart move...   more »

It was one of the hottest days of the year so far and, imposed on me was the necessity to have not one, not two, but three saunas – roof spaces can be very warm – I then went to the cellar to complete my ‘treatment’. Having lost several pound, hopefully, I continued with my inspection of this rather large Grade II Listed Building, just over the suspension bridge. It was a bit of a ‘jumble of accommodation’, but in the end I found my way around and found the house in fairly good condition. I’m not too sure how my Clients will unravel the layout, but, fortunately that’s not my problem! They have a large house in a very pleasant garden that is fairly close to the City. Sixteen years ago I looked at their existing house, and I hope that they are able to live here just as long, but next time… can you buy a house in the spring or autumn???   more »