Many years ago in a substantial mid Victorian house I saw two of the most magnificent fireplaces I have ever seen. It was reputed that they came from the Great Exhibition of 1851, just 11 years into the reign of Queen Victoria. If memory recalls, they were china fireplaces of very intricate design. Today I saw another two most unusual fireplaces no doubt original and very much "Art Deco". I really liked them and as a bonus I also quite liked the semi-detached 1930’s house in which they were fitted. My Clients were concerned about some cracking in the walls, but hopefully I will be able to put their mind at rest. The house was well maintained and largely in good condition and certainly occupied by houseproud vendor, which in it’s self is most unusual…   more »

28 years ago I was asked by my Client to look at property for him in north west Bristol. My instructions were that I should speak to know one about it. I was not to discuss it with the vendor, the estate agent, or his solicitor, so I didn't. I produced a report he read it and he still living there. Guess what happened today ...   more »

I suppose, like the Gold diggers of Colorado, back in the 1700’s, the miners of Bristol searched for coal and when they found a seam, or a vein, as coal seams are called, they might have thought that their Prospect was good, but I don't know I'm just guessing. The small terraced house that I looked at today was right in the middle of a coalmining area but, for once I found virtually no evidence of any movement in the house whatsoever. The chimney stacks were largely sound, guttering and down pipes were in good condition and the main walls were plumb. Windows and doors have been replaced. There is a little bit of damp getting in from the roof and parapet wall, but it is not a deal breaker. The house has a pleasant kitchen with a dining area in a sort of conservatory together with an equally pleasant bathroom, but it really needs a shower. It is in a quiet road and I think my Client has found a very pleasant home, but they'll have to dig deep to find coal in the garden ...   more »

Is probably not the best way to approach an Admiral of the Fleet although what an Admiral of the Fleet was doing in Clifton I'm not too certain. However, as a first Baron and as the admiral who defeated the French in 1782, George Brydges Rodney was probably taking a well earned rest in one of the Hot Wells by the docks or possibly at the Clifton Spar Hotel. It is of little difference, because the house I saw today was a delightful cottage property probably dating back to that period. Unfortunately I am not an architectural historian but I suspect that this house was built against its neighbour and there was then a space between it and the next house on the corner. At some stage this space was infield and joined into this cottage, so making it a six bedroomed house. It's a pity it rained all day from start to finish but I'm pleased to say it didn't dampen my enthusiasm about the house but it did show up a couple of leaks which need attention, otherwise it will be ... Hello Sailor ...   more »

This short cul-de-sac in east Bristol was probably not named after Admiral George Rodney following his visit to Bristol in 1782, but may be the name of the builder, or possibly I suppose connected with the landowner. Frankly, it makes little difference because the house I saw today was probably in better condition, I am pleased to say, than my Client had thought. The chimney stacks and roof are a bit tired, but once re-pointed and the hip and ridge tiles re-set, having first re-laid the slater’s felt over the bottom of rafters which has deteriorated. The roof will then be wind and weather proof. Gutters and down pipes are in okay condition but the facias need re-placing. Damp in the side wall probably emanates from the defective slater’s felt, and has led to wet rot in the facia board, none of which is an insurmountable problem. Windows have been replaced as have the bathroom and kitchen fitments, but I would not be surprised were my Clients wanting to upgrade and replace the kitchen, possibly even demolishing and rebuilding its very small extension, because it is of poor quality. Central heating needs attention and wiring may need renewing, but each ideally need testing. Built in the late 1930s, or even the early 1940s, it's not a bad house, but it does need a little bit of TLC, because for a while it's been tenanted and it rather looks it...   more »

I have just been to see an interesting house today, what was I believe stabling and possibly a coach house attached to a merchant’s property in one of Bristol's premier residential areas. Merchants of course would not live anywhere else and this particular merchant built a tower so that he could see his ships sailing up the River Avon, hopefully full of rum and molasses from which no doubt he made his fortune. It was a large interesting property, in a reasonably quiet location, but regrettably the tower was slightly faulty, but nothing that cannot be put right, but probably not a job for Mr O’Reilly…   more »

Well, it was snowing today, so everybody got a bit excited! For once the weather did exactly what the weatherman said it would, so well done Richard Angwin, the man from the BBC Points West. The house I saw today was built by Robert Hitchin Homes from Gloucestershire who, I happen to know built many houses in southern Spain. I saw some of those houses being built and, because there were built by this man from Gloucestershire I noticed that Pedro fishermen, now Pedro the builder, was using a spirit level and tape measure, so all his houses in Spain were plumb and straight - but not actually sold! The same can be said of the house I saw today in a pleasant cul-de-sac in Sadly Broke. It had been occupied almost since new by the owner, and was in much the same condition as the original - staright and true, but now it needs a bit of a ‘blow through’. New double glazing would not go amiss, adaptation of the extractor and vent in the roof would be sensible, as would testing of the services. The house has a garage and two parking spaces and a pleasant garden, so I hope that my Client will be happy when eventually he retires there…   more »

I did not have a lot to do today so I went to church instead. Unfortunately, the church, out in a little village about 10 miles south of Bristol was all but derelict. It was a disused church, and non-church, I suppose a deceased church and certainly a deconsecrated church and it's about to become a demolished church, because planning consent has been granted the three terraced houses to be built in its place. Then I came back into Bristol to look at three investment properties that had to be valued, so it's back to work again on a wing and with a prayer…   more »

I was tad disappointed with the detached house that I saw today. It was built just over 25 years ago and whilst there was no suggestion it was in a dilapidated state of repair or that it was falling down, I was just a little disappointed at the way that I found it. The main roof and gutters were in reasonable condition, but the gutters hadn't been maintained and some of the joints were leaking to the extent that staining was evident on some of the brickwork. The brickwork had a reasonable finish but in isolated areas hairline spitting or cracking of the mortar joints was evident. Nothing to get excited about, but they are just there. Why a diamond shape area had been knocked out and rebuilt on the site elevation with a damp proof membrane beneath it I have no idea. There were two outbuildings, one a conservatory, plain and simple and un-heated, that seemed to me to have little use whatsoever and a utility room extension built by Bob the builder, and not to a very good standard judging by the sag in the roof. Insulation in the main roof could be improved -- vastly. In several areas the wall plaster was damaged and needs attention though how it came to be damaged, again I have no idea. Wiring is not up to scratch but there is a new boiler, well, newish. The house was reasonably sound, but it needs decorating, the Sani-flow WC needs repairing, the wiring updating and render on both sides of the roadside boundary wall hacking off and renewing, before it falls off onto the pavement. All in all, a slightly disappointing house …   more »

Isn't it funny how things come onto the market again and again and again. It's a bit like the house I saw today, a small ‘mewsy’ house naturally enough in a cul-de-sac Mews, almost, right in the heart of Clifton Village. It was all up together and in good condition, but the owner had only been there two years and prior to that, the previous owner for two years two months and before then the owner had only lived there two years all so. I don't think there is anything wrong with the house, it's just that people move on, and on, and on…   more »

In 1941 a Wellington Bomber, whilst out on a final training flight caught the metal tie of a barrage balloon on its wing, whilst flying over Stapleton. It was not a good idea, but at the time visibility was not good and the sorry end to this tale is that it crash landed in St Andrew’s Park, where most of the crew sadly perished. A commemorative plaque, a large piece of slate has now been erected to mark that disaster. Quite what that’s got to do with the maisonette that I saw today I don’t know, other than the fact that it was opposite the park! The disaster only recently came to light, but this maisonette, which has also only just ‘come to light’, will need significant money to be spent on it…   more »

I was in Shirehampton today, a small village which I regard as being rather underrated, though no doubt not by those who live there. There are some parts which are very old and some parts which are not so old. Today I was looking at one part that wasn't so old, but nevertheless I was pleased to be able to give this small two-bedroom house a clean bill of health. I met a man there who is doing some odd jobs and tidying up who told me how to balance 6, six inch nails on the head of one nail hammered into a piece of wood and I did it so I'm off to the pub to have a bet with the landlord…   more »

During the civil war a young lieutenant was killed at Prior Hill, when the Parliamentarians beat the Royalists. His widow grieved the rest of her life and looked after the well in this part of Bristol. When she died she was carted away on a bier in her original wedding dress with maidens tossing herbs in her wake! Hundreds of people apparently turned out for the occasion. Of course the well was filled up and developers then built on the land. The Luftwaffe then came along and during the last war took out the first 13 houses of this fairly long terrace in Cotham. What is left is a pleasant regency rank of houses, one of which I was inspecting today. Seemingly it was in fairly good condition though there are a number of breaches with regard to its listed building status, but I don't suppose anybody is going to notice. I was reasonably happy with the exterior but I was a bit disappointed with the interior and I think my Client will be spending rather more than he anticipates on its renovation. Of course it will be nothing like houses in Ma Pudsey era but, it will become a very pleasant property of that I'm sure…   more »

Morris men dance all day, but today there were no Morris men about so there was no dancing, which doesn't surprise me because I don't think Morris men will be about in this part of Bristol. I'm not sure if there are any Morris men in Bristol and even if there were, do you really want to be dancing with them? Today I saw an end of terrace house in a reasonably quiet location and although the main line railway between Bristol and Gloucester is in a cutting below the house it really wasn't much of an annoyance. The house needs renovating, new windows, new bathroom, and a new kitchen. It may need some rewiring and it probably needs a new boiler. It certainly needs redecorating but I don't think that my Clients will want the carpets. Other than that there is no reason why they should not proceed and dance the night away once they have purchased…   more »

My Client is hoping to purchase the adjoining semi-detached house which he asked me to look at. It is in a quiet cul-de-sac in North West Bristol but, it is a house that really needs a lot of money spending on it. It is not a shed, but it is almost a property that a property speculator could purchase, expand into the roof space to create a fifth bedroom and then sell on. This will not happen here because my Client has other ideas. I hope he succeeds in what he is after   more »

What am I going on about? I don't think Northumberland had any colour rose named after it. If I remember correctly White Roses were the emblem of Yorkshire and Red Roses the emblem of Lancashire -- I hope I've got that right. Right or wrong, today I was in a very substantial house built in the Edwardian era, so there were no Roses about. The house was vacant, but I believe had been occupied for the past 40 or so years by the same family who had loosely converted it into two units. There was no planning consent for this work and according to records, it was rated as one house. That means of course no building regulation is required for its reversion back into a single unit though in fairness of course this only means removing one door. The house is substantial, and although a bomb exploded nearby during the last war there was no evidence of any significant movement in the property which I considered to be recent. There is an argument to consider stripping and re-felting the roof, but it could be renovated just by lifting and resetting hip and Ridge tiles and renewing the linings to the Valley gutters. The house will need significant money spending on it but at least my Clients can put their own stamp on it, and maybe a rose here or there…   more »

This has absolutely nothing to do with ET, or for that matter dialling home, but the house I saw it today in Clevedon was very "spacious". It started life in the 1930s as a detached bungalow, but then it grew and grew and grew to its present size having five reception rooms and four bedrooms. It has a delightful open tread staircase in the central hall leading to the landing and to a balcony overlooking Clevedon Bay. A delightful house, but I always think that in some cases it's a shame the original bungalow was not demolished in its entirety and a new property built in its place, which is no doubt what ET would have done…   more »

Today I've been to see a one-bedroom flat in Redland probably on land named after a village in Wiltshire owned by one Roger, Earl of Hereford. As I said before what Roger, Earl of Hereford was doing owning land in Wiltshire I do not know; it is not part of my remit to discuss this, I will leave it to others, rather more learned. However the building I saw was largely in good condition. It had a new -- well newish artificial slate roof, newish gutters and walls were largely in good condition. The flat itself was in need of some renovation and improvement but I think that this is allowed for in the purchase price. The flat has a useful rear entrance in which there is definitely a parking space for a car, subject to the planners. Bristol planners do not like cars so it follows they do not like parking spaces, so my Client may have an uphill struggle…   more »

Well you can't see the Cotswolds from the windows in this house but you can see the Cotswolds from windows in other houses, which is no doubt how the road got its name. Today I visited the upper floors of a mid-terraced house built in the 1900’s. I suspect that the rear extension had settled the move during its lifetime, but there was no concrete evidence to suggest this was the case. The roof was sound but I found that the ceilings, the partitions and the floors had all been renovated, so at some point in the history of the house significant work has been carried out on it. It has been left as a three or four bedroomed maisonette in a reasonably convenient location but will happily let, probably forever and ever. However you will never ever see the Cotswolds from here…   more »

Years ago lime was burnt in a kiln in order drive off the water it contained. It was then pulverised to a powder and when added to sand and mixed with water it made mortar, I think! When hydrated lime and water mix there is a violent chemical reaction and the water boils, so one must take care. Today the farmhouse I saw probably had no lime in it, although there were a couple of old lime kilns in the grounds, so now you know where it got its name. The farmhouse was only about 25 years old but it was a pleasant property built with old stone and with reclaimed clay tiles, so it looked the part. It had a garage, converted to an office and a gym where I felt faint. In addition there are stables a second garage and car port. There was a barn converted into 14 stables, a ménage and a good chunk of land. It was all very bucolic and I'm sure that my Clients will be happy there; I would be…   more »