Had it not been for the fencing and the trees behind the fencing I might have been blown off my feet by the high speed express train travelling between Bristol and the South West today. In fact I could've been knocked off my feet several times, the number of trains that went past. They were of course diesel powered and probably, thankfully not the sooty old steam trains that the Fat Controller like to order about; so no Thomas’s, Gordon’s or Henry’s here. Here on this site many years ago was what was probably a workhouse kindly donated by the then Lord Wraxall to the local village. It fell into disrepair and disrepute, probably because there was no work about. Subsequently, vendor purchased it,knocked it down and rebuilt it and then extended it. It is all a bit dark and gloomy, it has that sort of poorhouse atmosphere about it but I'm quite convinced my Client will alter all that. The chimney stack roofs and gutters are in reasonable condition as are the main walls but much of the external timber and probably all of the windows will need replacing. Internally of course is going to need redecorating and stained softwood ceilings will need upgrading as will possibly the kitchen and the lurid bathroom suite and its matching crimson tiles. Toot - toot - toot - here comes Tim the tiler, Pete the plumber, Eric, the electrician, Ken the kitchen man, Dave the decorator and of course Willie the window man. Now where's the Fat Controller???   more »

R.S. Pope was the architect flavoured with the design of this terrace that I was on and in today, that is named after Sir Richard Vyvyan the MP for Bristol between 1832 and 1837. He must've been a remarkable man because only after five years sitting as our MP he had a road named after him and then, 10 years after he left the Commons. The architect did a good job; I won't bore you with all the details but the iconic columns to the centre houses are quite a feature and not seen elsewhere in Bristol. In fact I think this is probably the finest terrace of houses in Bristol, knocking RYC into a cocked hat! The unit I saw was in reasonably good condition, although it does need a little bit of updating. Parking in the area will always be difficult except that here, no parking fairies are required as the flat has a double garage. It also has a garden, its own garden and the use of communal gardens directly opposite where, from time to time various functions are held. All in all a very pleasant property and I hope that my Client will be happy there…   more »

I have just seen the most appallingly badly designed, ugly, awful, hideous house ever, and I never ever want to see it again. Fortunately my Client is not buying it but he is hoping to purchase the house next door so every time he arrives home he will see it - oh dear! That aside of course, the house that they are hoping to purchase was rather typical of the architecture of the 1970s having mono pitched roofs and rendered elevations. However, the existing owner has extended it a bit this way and a bit that, and has built triangular dormer windows to the rear, so they have enlivened it up somewhat. The staircase has been re-positioned, but now it is a bit of a hike from the living room to the bedrooms, rather like going over a mountain pass, a short one I'll admit. It was largely in good condition and free from major defect but I think I might have nightmares tonight…   more »

In 1791, Thomas Coates, a builder completed the house that I saw today in the middle of Clifton and signed the indenture at the White Lion Inn, in Broad Street. I was not there but I have seen the indenture. Indentures have a curved or patterned top to them because they are divided into two sections and signed by all parties. You keep one half and I keep the other and when we get together we know we have the right halves because they match. If someone else turns up with a fraudulent copy the cut top will not match, well that's the theory anyway. It rained all day even when I was on the roof so walking along the parapet gutters was done with extreme trepidation. Lead had been used where lead should have been and as a result I could find no evidence of significant water penetration. I did find some dampness in the party wall below the chimney stack, but the chimney stack belongs the adjoining house and is probably their responsibility. That aside there was no real evidence of any significant problems. One feature I liked about the house was that all but one of the fireplaces had been retained. A number of windows have been replaced but not quite in the true George III style. The reception rooms at first-floor level were elegant whilst the ground floor rooms were functional. The principal bedroom and its ensuite bathroom at second floor level were very pleasant but the ceiling has suffered a serious blow. There is parking for a two cars in the rear garden. When eventually I finished, you know it was still raining and for that matter it still is as I write this blog …   more »

The Codrington's and the Beaufort's are related. Sir Christopher, then of Dodington Park was MP for East Gloucestershire whilst his brother-in-law, the Marquis of Worcester was also an MP but when his father died he became the eighth Duke of Beaufort. It was the Codrington Yeomanry that helped quell the Bristol riots of 1831. I could go back further because one of Sir Christopher's forebears, Sir John was a standard-bearer to Henry V at Agincourt in 1415, but I think I'll stop there. Today I have been to a quiet, peaceful little backwater a stone's throw from Clifton Village, where there are no standard-bearers, no MPs, and as far as I'm aware no Yeomanry, merely a very pleasant neatly designed rank or row of four pavilioned grade II listed terraced houses. I have been there before but five years ago and did not see the same flat, so I had to refresh my memory. Today the sun was shining most of the time though there was a light drizzle and it was fairly windy up on the roof and of course is always present to get back down again. There is evidence of past settlement movement in the property but I suspect this old dates back to the war years because I could see nothing here that seemed in new and other cracking that does exist probably relates to the weakening of the building at that time. It was a delightfully appointed property and pleasantly decorated…   more »

As I was advised by the plaque placed on the wall of this grade 2 listed building. Today I was back in Long Ashton looking at a special house that started life in 1407, if I remember rightly, when the original house was there. Since then of course there a house has been on the site and it has been extended this way and that but mainly into the garden. Three of the chimney stacks were sound, but one was unfortunately leaking. The various roof slopes were largely sound although they require a modest overhaul. Gutters and down pipes are in reasonable condition but a couple of outlets need unblocking. Main walls are all but they have stood the test of time remarkably well and some of the stone looks as it came out of the quarry yesterday! At this point God in his wisdom decided to let me have the full force of his rainstorm, so I took shelter in the front door of the property opposite and accidentally fell into The Angel, but God, in his infinite wisdom only let it rain for ten minutes! When I came out, ten minutes later I found some dampness in the main walls which I have to say was disappointing and not due to the rainstorm. Windows and doors were in reasonably good condition. There is rather more evidence of movement internally than externally, but all of this of course is quite in keeping. There is some work to be done in remedying the dampness but after that is I am sure this is going to become a very pleasant house, a house that would be barely recognisable by John Kyngton…   more »

Today I drove up into the Gloucestershire countryside to look at a house of a somewhat indeterminate age that my cousin, a retired farmer is hoping to purchase. Originally I suspect it was two cottages with an agricultural building to one side, which is no doubt the reason he quite likes it. It was renovated a number of years ago and as there are no original roof timbers, it was difficult to decipher exactly when, but I suspect in the 1950s. I would not be surprised had the roof trusses of the agricultural building had been re-used again when this single-storey building was increased in height to form a bedroom over what is now the kitchen. The kitchen is a bit low and to an extent slightly dark but it was well fitted out. The sanitary ware is ultra modern even though I suspect it is five or so years old. The house in part had a flat roof that has seen better days as had the chimney stack taken through it. Tiles to the main roof slopes were all so starting to deteriorate and my concern is that in the next 20 years many more may go that way. There was not much by way of dampness in it that can't be cured. There is a farm track that crosses in front of the house and I know there is some concern that this could become a bit of a quagmire in certain circumstances. If the septic tank failed that could also become a quagmire…   more »

The parish church of Long Ashton is that of All Saints, so presumably all of the above and many more, far too many to mention can gather there to worship, but would they all fit in? Some may not and if not then probably St Arnold, the patron saint of brewers and St Patrick, the patron saint of drinkers would be found in the lounge bar of The Angel, an apt name for the local pub. This afternoon, however I was rather further away from the church, and the Saints, because I was looking at a mid-terrace Victorian house close to the good old Co-op which regrettably, these days probably has more patrons than the church. The house itself was in a reasonably good condition and although the rafters were felted in the 1930s it has stood the test of time well and the chimney stack and the roofs are in good condition. Gutters and down pipes could be improved upon. Main walls are I in reasonable condition but there's a little bit of damp in the property but, hey this is a 1890-ish house so some damp must be anticipated. Windows have been replaced to improve insulation but insulation in roof void can be improved. The house is not in poor condition but the bathroom is at ground floor level, directly off the kitchen; goodness knows what Santa Marta, the patron saint of cooking would have said…   more »

…a good many people that include:- Bakers, Bridge Builders, Butchers, Fishermen, Harvesters. Cordwainers, Horologists, Locksmiths, Cobblers, Masons, Net makers, The Papacy, and Shipwrights, but not of Surveyors. The patron Saint for us lot is St Thomas. And where was I today, in the largest cul-de-sac in Europe close to the High Street looking at a pleasant late 1960s built bungalow. The patron saint of bricklayers is St Stephen. The patron saint, believe it or not of house hunters and house sellers is St Joseph, so all in all I was comforted to find the property largely in good condition and are free from major defect. My Client can move in under the watchful eye of St Mary, the patron saint of the human race, knowing all is well…   more »

Today I was ‘programmed’ to go to Staple Hill and to look at a substantial bungalow. I was to collect the key from the estate agent which I did, but upon getting to the property I found out someone, in this case the vendor had left another key in the back of the lock so I couldn't use my key! I must say that security was excellent, because on one side there was a padlocked gate whilst on the other there was a garage set against the adjoining house. There was a large privet hedge surrounding the rear garden that was impenetrable. I was of course able to get my ladders up onto the flat roof of the garage to get to the rear garden and I was able to deal with the entire exterior. Breaking and entering was not part of my remit so I was unable to examine the interior. I know my Client is reasonably anxious to proceed so I will have to complete this one day next week, when hopefully the key will work…   more »

Later on today I went and inspected a mid-terraced house built on three floors in the middle of St Andrews. The house is conveniently placed for Somerfield's, though now I believe it's called Co-op, so my Client will have to have his ‘divi’ card handy, as the back entrance is only a few yards from the house. The shop at the front is onto Gloucester Road which is one of the best shopping streets in the country, let alone Bristol, or so I am told. The house itself was in reasonable condition but it is a tad tired and it does need what could end up being a significant amount of money being spent on it, but only and only if my Client wishes to restore it as it could so easily be restored. The garden was small so I don't think Humphrey Repton would be much interested…   more »

As I drove majestically through the grounds towards the house I was looking at today, my mind veered off to the landscapes of Capability Brown one of the England's most renowned landscape gardeners. Alas, the parkland through which I was driving was not one of his efforts but one of Humphrey Repton, who could possibly be called his successor and one of the finest 18th-century landscape architect; a bloke from Norwich apparently. It's a pity the little yobs have to use this park to nick the lead off the roofs of these cottages, but apparently that's what they do. Never mind, the lead to this roof was all intact as were the slates even though they were probably Chinese. Everything else was fine and in good condition and I have to say I enjoyed looking at his house for my Client who I think will be very happy living there. The house was immaculate and there is no work to do…   more »

Applegarth is in a little enclave of houses of varying sizes and ages that are close to the local church of St Mary the Virgin. It started life in the 1850’s, or thereabouts as a single story dwelling, may be the cottage of the gardener who looked after the apple orchard. Later in life, maybe as late as the 1950s it was extended upwards to form more of a lodge style dwelling. It too is a grade II Listed Property and one that has been well maintained both internally and externally. At one point I got out of the main bedroom window to examine a valley gutter and I thought that the neighbouring guard dog, a really ferocious Rottweiler was going to leap up the boundary wall it was so anxious for blood. His mate was probably a dog banned under the Ferocious Animals Act, although it was much calmer. I have nevertheless advised my Client that these dogs are around and that the fences should be secure but, under case law, Rylands v Fletcher (1868) it will be the dog's owner who has to maintain those fences, because as Mr Ryland found out, he had to keep his water out of Mr Fletcher is mine. Oh happy days, tomorrow rains…   more »

And string up the Conservation Officer, who decided that it would not be a good idea to create a lobby in the bedroom so that the bathroom can be accessed from the hall as well as the bedroom. Instead he thought a better idea to create an opening out of the large living room/kitchen directly into the bathroom which was taken from space within the bedroom, behind it. Of course the developer had to maintain the cornice of the bedroom so the ceiling of the bathroom was kept well below it. It looked rather as though someone placed a shoebox in the bedroom, but that's what you get when you convert flats from a listed building. I don't think the Conservation Officer is qualified and if he is I'm not sure in what. That aside, my Client was anxious for me to to get on and as I have a busy week ahead it was easier to deal with this today, but unfortunately I will have to wait till Tuesday to get to the roof. Now, where's that conservation officer…   more »

Today I visited a delightful home on the south facing slopes of Clifton that I suspect at one time was covered in woods and that yellowhammers nested there. You may ask why I think that yellowhammers used live there and the answer is that the olde English name for yellowhammer was Ambra. So there we are; a delightful house with pleasant features in a reasonably quiet location and I have to say all delightfully decorated fitted out and maintained. So next year, my Clients can watch the yellowhammers as well as the balloons from the Bristol Balloon Fiesta…   more »

Today I have just been to see a maisonette one of two, each having two floors in a mid-terraced house in Clifton. It was very sizeable and the present owner had owned the property for many years and indeed had it converted into the two existing units. It was largely in good condition throughout. Parking in the area will not be difficult, and although I'm sure it will continue to get worse, fortunately close by there is a library, Sainsbury's, WH Smiths, Boots, a doctor's surgery, and another chemist and a Post Office as well as a bus service all of which are within easy walking distance. So I liked it, I like the fact you can walk everywhere and that you could actually ditch the car and probably use the City Car Club. Although it was in a central area it was delightfully peaceful and quiet and as a real benefit it has a south facing garden, a cellar and good storeage…   more »

When St Paul was walking along the road to Damascus he had a revelation. I had a revelation today, but it was not quite the revelation that St Paul had, because today I was looking at a mid-terraced property probably built in the 1850s, listed by the local authority, probably in the 1970s and divided into two units though I don't know when. My Client was purchasing the three upper floors and whilst externally the building was not in poor condition, during enemy action of the last war bombs dropping a relatively close by knocked out some of the windows which still retain war glass. There was some evidence of settlement and movement which probably dates back to that time, so it is historic. At some stage in the roof has been recovered with artificial slate, interestingly it was originally covered with natural slate, and the parapet and valley gutters have been upgraded with lead,each finished to a good standard. The rear elevation has been re-rendered and was largely in good condition. However, within the accommodation there is evidence of past damp penetration shown up by perished plaster though much of this I suspect is the due to hygroscopic salts that have migrated to the surface following repairs and renewals. At present the property is tenanted, but unlike most tenanted properties this is well maintained, but my Clients must expect fairly significant renovation although he has an excellent base from which to start work…   more »

The first Baron Cottesloe usually went under the 'nom de plume' - Thomas Francis Freemantle who had a city in Western Australia named after him. I suspect the roads in Cotham were also named after him but I can't think why because I don't think he had any connection with Bristol as he was an MP for Buckingham and was Chief Secretary for Ireland when Sir Robert Peel was Prime Minister in 1845. History lesson over, today I saw a Regency house typical of the period, a grade II Listed Building, having a pleasant black-and-white roofed balcony across the front elevation. Bristol was heavily damaged during enemy action last war but there was little to see of the damage that might have been caused here, because the house was in fairly good condition. It suffesr from some dampness but most of this is of a residual nature as the exterior was in fairly good condition. I had seen it before when it was furnished; when I saw it today it was vacant and somehow it looked far, far better so hopefully my Client can move in with little work to do, but re- plastering walls can be a messy job…   more »

Today my client asked me specifically to carry out a full building survey on a relatively modern house in Stoke Gifford. His father is Chartered Surveyor who was insistent that such a report was made, so thank you dad! Everything was off, so I turned everything on, the water and electricity in particular and then I made my way to the roof. I normally start externally and finish internally having already seen the roof but as it was raining so hard today I started internally. By the time I had left the house and got my ladders out and into the hall it was ‘raining’ inside because it transpired that the return pipe to the hot water tank in the airing cupboard had been disconnected so water was flooding onto the airing cupboard floor, through it, and on to and through the hall ceiling where a stream was collecting on the laminate floor. Of course I turned off the water and mopped it all up with newspapers, telephone directories and a mop and bucket from a kindly neighbour. When I finished there was no trace of this leak. Had my client is not insisted upon a full building survey this may well not have shown up, so he was right to do so. I also uncovered other bits and pieces but frankly they were rather more superficial. By the time I had finished, it had stopped raining inside and out…   more »

If Lord Raglan was alive today he may find it difficult to signal that he was turning left or right as he lost an arm of the Battle of Waterloo. I'm not sure exactly where he lost it or indeed which one last (actually it was the right), it is of course of little indifference because he died in 1855 and the motor car, as we know it, had not been invented. He was, I think not a particularly good military man and certainly questions were asked in the house after the infamous Charge of the Light Brigade in the Crimea War, so as a reward he was promoted to Field Marshal! He was also an MP, for Truro. He died of cholera and is buried at Badminton. I suppose it's not surprising therefore that roads in Bristol were named after him. The house I saw today was, unlike Lord Raglan sound in wind and limb. The roof space had been converted so making it a four-bedroom dwelling in a reasonably quiet road close to good local amenities. A pleasant house where I hope that my Clients will fare better than Lord Raglan…   more »

The Popple who has no toes,
Had once as many as we.
When they said “ some day you may lose them all;”
He replied “ Fish, fiddle de dee!!”
And his Aunt Jobiska made him drink
Lavender water tinged with pink.
For she said “The world in general knows
There’s nothing so good for a Pobble’s toes!”

It goes on, thanks to Edward Lear and exactly what this has got to do with the 1930’s semi that I saw to day I’m not quite sure, but the house, whilst not on it’s last legs, is in need of a significant amount of TLC – the chimney, the roof, the gutters, the facia boards and soffits need re-newing. The cavity wall ties will need replacing and the main walls rendering. The house will need rewiring, new plumbing and probably a new boiler and heating together with a new kitchen. Oh, it's also needs redecorating but you might have guessed that. What has it got to do with a Popple? Well the vendor told me that he had lost a toe. He didn't tell me which one or on which foot and to be honest I wasn't really interested. Vendors to tell you the strangest things…   more »

The pavements of Southville are not paved with gold although they are littered with numerous cafes that are springing up there. Of course, in North Street there is also the Tobacco Factory for those wishing to have a cultural experience and just further along is the current site at Bristol city football club for those wishing for a cultural experience of a different kind. The house I saw today had been modernised, I suspect prior to the present owner taking occupation and that the present owner had seemingly done relatively little to it. It was however reasonably sound and there was little evidence of any significant dampness. However, one of the three chimney stacks is likely to require repair and the principal roof will eventually need stripping and the tiles replacing because they are coming to the end of their useful life. Bristol was heavily damaged during action of the last war and a certain amount of movement has taking place here which possibly dates back to that period, or to past coal mining. I managed to fuse the lights when in the kitchen and have advised the wiring be tested. Internally the house was in fairly good condition but externally well as the saying goes, all that glitters is not gold, but it does have a very pleasant neatly laid out rear garden…   more »

Wordsworth yesterday and now Monet. Today I saw a house that I am sure was built for the local authority but many years ago. It has recently been renovated and improved and extended and to be honest it was all in very good condition. Seldom do I see houses such as this, and where walls have been replastered they were as smooth as silk and I have the impression that most of the work was carried out by the vendor but it was difficult to assess because the house was empty. Some people I think have a natural gift and if he did this work he did it to a far better standard, a far superior standard than most plasterers I've come across. The garden was an absolute delight and I just hope that my Client is a keen gardener or will become a keen gardener because it has been beautifully laid out with a small lake and waterlilies, with a curved bridge over it leading to an open summerhouse set on its bank; Monet would have been delighted. Pity about the monsoon…   more »

I was today on top of the Square, quite literally. The house I saw was in the Square of this pleasant South Gloucestershire village and as I was on its roof, I was definitely right on the Square! Squares have different meanings to different people, or so I'm told but today everything seemed to go according to plan and although the house was in need of some repair the was nothing here as I see as a deal breaker. One of the chimneys had a fern growing out of it and the ferns were growing out of the party wall but this can be dealt with very easily. Sparrows live in the roof and one of the gutters is blocked, but again this can be sorted. Walls and windows are generally sound but there was a bit of damp at ground level and in one of the chimney stacks. Internally insulation could be improved but all in all this was a very pleasant property which had been extended into the roof void and out to one side at two levels. This house grew on me; it grew on the estate agent as well because he was waxing so lyrical in his details that I thought Wordsworth might pop round the corner…   more »

I suspect that prior to the 1930s almost all of Westbury on Trym were fields. There is no doubt in my mind that some of those fields would have been for cattle and sheep whilst other of those fields would have been arable land, growing wheat and barley which may be why the road I was in today was so called. Who knows; it is semantic. The house I saw was probably built in the late 1930s when building materials were in short supply because of the last war. There is no shortage now, so I could quite understand my Clients wishing to consider relining the existing soft board ceilings of this house with plasterboard. That aside, structurally it was in reasonable condition but because much of the render has been my house for the past 80 or so years, it is likely to be coming to the end of its useful life and I suspect that it is going to be necessary to, eventually hack it off from the front and side elevations and renew it. That aside the house was not in poor condition and providing my Client obtains estimates for all work they wish to carry out for repairs and renovations before exchange of contracts to ensure they do not over capitalise on it, I see no reason why they should not safely proceed and then they can gather the harvest from the seeds they have sown. Am I becoming too lyrical???   more »