The Vendor of this rather large house in Westbury on Trym has details of many of the previous owners who lived at this property which he has slowly renovated over the past four years. Being built originally in the 17th century it is a Grade II Listed Building where fortunately there aren't too many breaches of good conservation policy, but,enough to be going on with. Originally, it was a farmhouse that slowly got gentrified and of course internally has now been 21st ‘century-ised’, as one would expect. It is a fairly well laid out property standing in a good-sized plot and I suspect that at one time it farmed all land in this area of Bristol, but that was before the 1930s. Someone has done quite a lot of research as to the previous occupants which is why it seems that all and sundry have lived here including one Jacob Sturge, no doubt a landowner and good all-time egg as he was a founder The Bristol Chartered Surveyors, JP Sturge…   more »

I am pleased to say that I finished looking at the roof of the building I was examining yesterday, yesterday. Why? Because today it was raining. I was able to complete the remainder of my report in relative comfort and so hopefully my Client will get his report during the early part of next week, hopefully just-in-time…   more »

Today I had a bit of an urgent job to start because I'm looking at a large commercial premises in the Clifton area, so large that it is going to take me two days and no doubt countless photographs. Fortunately the building was probably residential in the early part of its life before it became semi-commercialised, but that suits me down to the ground. My Client wishes to make some alterations so I will have to take into account some of the internal accommodation for which is not actually responsible, just in case a small crack appears here or there. Tomorrow I hope to finish the report and then get it out to both parties ASAP, where they can read all about it…   more »

Today I have been over in St. Anne's, where rumour has it that a pilgrims path led to the holy waters of St Anne's Well where a chapel was built in the 1100s. I wasn't near the path or the well or the chapel, all of which I suspect disappeared many years ago. I was instead looking at a pleasant detached house built in the 1930s in a cul-de-sac in St Anne's. Mr and Mrs Vendor had kept it fairly well maintained and it was largely in good condition, I was pleased to be able to report to my Client. Interestingly, Mr and Mrs Vendor kept chickens, it's the sort of thing crofters do in this part of the world, and as part of the deal, they are included in the sale; as a result my client is cock-a-hoop…   more »

Horace Batchelor will be known by some of a certain age if only because he lived at Keynsham, spelt K..E.., when he advertised his famous 'infra-draw' method on Radio Luxembourg. This is not what you may be thinking but a way of making large amounts of money through football pools. I don't know how well he did or, how well his punters fared, but he used to live in a very large house on the A4, and if I remember correctly it had a green tiled roof! Today however I was unable to see much of the roof of the house I was inspecting because it was three stories high and it was flat though I am advised that it was covered with a ‘metallised roofing felt’; something of which I've never heard. The roof slopes were covered with reconstituted slate and the house was built with concrete bricks. It was all a bit strange really but, nevertheless it was all in acceptable condition though it is a house that requires a certain amount of updating, that's spelt m..o..d..e..r..n..i..s..a..t..i..o..n…   more »

Celestine is a mineral that was used mainly by the Germans for refining sugar. However, the strontium compounds it contained were also used for fireworks, because it gave a rather pleasant blue flame. It was mined in Germany, naturally, North America and Madagascar as these were the primary areas. It was also mined rather closer to home at Yate, because it had a high concentration of the mineral in the Mesozoic sedimentary rocks of the area. It was generally found by opencast mining, often by farm labourers wanting additional funds. The rector of Yate started mining on the church lands in the 19th century, until the church found out! Today I have been in Yate but I was not looking for Celestine, I was looking at a bungalow where a certain amount of cracking in various walls soon became apparent after I had run into the kitchen, because the floor leading to it was on a slope. I think here that my Client will be making a claim on their insurance policy to have the walls and possibly the floors arrested and strengthened so that no further movement occurs. It is difficult to know exactly why the movement occurred; there is as far as I am aware, no made up land but certainly further investigations will have to be made. Drains will need to be tested because there may well be a problem here. The good news is of course that when they dig and expose the drains they may find some Celestine…   more »

I was asked not to say where I have been today, so I will not! I will be pleased to advise everybody however that I was not skiving as some may think if the blog was not completed!!!   more »

When this development was built in the early 1980s of the blocks of flats which shielded the houses behind and on the waterfront looked a bit like prisons, Russian prisons at that. They have however, over the past 30 years, well just under actually, become less offensive to the eye or perhaps one's eyes have become more used to seeing them. They seem to have mellowed. They are not harsh brash brick built buildings that they were when originally built. Trees have grown and they all look quite pleasant. Many are occupied by retired professional people so they keep an eye on the Management Company and ensure they do what they should be doing. Nevertheless, over the last 30 or so years natural weathering has taken its toll and there are some areas that will require repair, but this can be completed when the building is next scaffolded. The property I saw, a pleasant two-bedroom flat had been nicely modernised and was largely in good condition. The bedrooms face the A 4, so could be noisy and earplugs may be the order of the day…   more »

A long time ago the monks of St Augustine’s Abbey probably owned most of the land in South Bristol but following dissolution of the monasteries the land was taken over by one, John Smyth a merchant from Small Street in the City, in the 16th century. In the 19th century one of his relations, John Henry Greville Smyth rebuilt Ashton Court Mansion and I suspect some of the roads in South Bristol were named after him. I was in one such road today, in a fairly large mid-terraced house that was in need of a certain amount of tender loving care. Structurally it was not in poor condition and although I found war glass in three of the windows, my records show that the nearest bomb dropped well over a street away (I have plans of all the exploded , and UXB's, in Bristol from WWII) but I suppose it might have blown out the windows. Whether or not the rear extension was ever in part rebuilt I do not know. I do know there is a large crack in it but I suspect this is very historic. Yes, my Client could move straight in and do very little, because the heating was working, everything was working but I suspect he's going to plan on spending a bit of money on renovating and improving it, and who could blame him? In the end my Client will have a very pleasant house…   more »

I have never been to Downing Street, so I don't know how good is the painted door to No. 10, but I suspect its steel and not timber. Today I saw a substantial semi-detached house in a pleasant tree-lined avenue and was greeted by a delightfully well painted front door, where the brass latch, the brass letterbox and the brass house number were all highly polished. You sort of know from that point onwards that the house is going to be well maintained, and so it was. It had been in the same ownership for well over 30 years, so it was all a little bit dated and there was some evidence of dampness in the upper accommodation but, most of this is historic, because the chimney stacks and roofs and gutters were all in good condition. The stone on the front elevation had been cleaned and internally there was little evidence of any serious dampness at ground level. External timber has been well maintained and was almost as well decorated as the front door though Pete, the painter didn't ease all of the windows when he had finished. Insulation in roof void needs beefing up and the house may require some attention to the wiring. The boiler is old but it's working. I expect my Clients will wish to replace the kitchen and bathroom and maybe carry out some re-planning but that's fine; they have a pleasant house from which to start work, so good for them…   more »

Today I had the good fortune to look at a mid-terraced private dwelling house in one of this City's better residential areas. Parking of course was a real problem, because although the City Fathers in their wisdom have issued residential parking permits, the residents don't get temporary permits for visitors. Never mind, my parking fairy looked after me as usual, so as usual a big thank you to her, for finding me a space obliquely opposite the house where I could stay for three hours; I did and for more! The house itself was built in about 1830 and was in reasonable condition but I was disappointed with some of the weathering at roof level though as yet water is not penetrating the house from these points. Water has penetrated in other areas but all of this can be rectified relatively easily, though of course there will be a cost implication. The house looks sound and solid but in the roof space there is a fairly wide crack between the two adjoining houses and although I couldn't get my hand into it, I could see into the opposite void. It is evident in the roof void, but it ain't particularly noticeable elsewhere which is good news. However, there is some movement above the front living room door about which might Client will, of course be aware. Many of the windows are paint jammed and these will need easing and one or two will require repair. The basement has seemingly been fully tanked and was generally dry. This is a pleasant house in a quiet location but it does require some money to be spent on it but, thankfully not a fortune…   more »

As you might have guessed today I was up in Horfield, but I didn't see any Vine Street, Marlborough Street, or Bow Street, the Angel Islington, Bond Street or Mayfair were all sadly lacking! I was however close to the city ‘nick’, because the garden of the house I inspected backs right up to its walls. There are quite high walls as well, as one would perhaps expect and are built of brick rather like the proverbial you know what. I'm please report that this house was also structurally sound and largely in good condition. It does require a fairly significant amount of money to be spent on its remodelling and dragging into the 21st century, but the chimney stacks roofs and most the gutters were in reasonable condition. The windows have already been in part replaced, in part they can remain and in part they may have to be changed although my Client may wish to replace them all on a uniform basis. They should certainly consider cleaning the stone elevation which would then come up looking like new. They will have to deal with the interior, no doubt full rewiring, extending the heating, but the bathroom wasn't in poor condition. The kitchen is limited but I suspect my Clients have ideas for this. I like this road because parking here is not too difficult and is close to reasonably good shopping of Gloucester Road, which I'm told is one of the better shopping streets if not in the country, then certainly in Bristol…   more »

I'm really not surprised that the Wurrzells came from Somerset and that ‘Wassailing’ still continues to this day in some of the Somerset orchards. Exactly what the philanthropist and all-time good egg, Mrs Hannah More would have thought about all of this I have no idea, but no doubt she pondered upon this and that as she wandered through the gardens of Barley Wood. Dr Chalmers, whose name is associated with whatever belongs to the advancement of truth, and the practical good of his country ; Dr. Paterson, the Northern Bible Missionary, who had just returned from Russia, and Dr. Henderson, who had very recently accomplished a tour through the North of Europe were three of its distinguished visitors in 1817. However, in consequence of the disgraceful conduct of her servants which was accidentally discovered by a visitor,(one has to wonder what he was doing of course), Mrs. More considered it advisable to leave her much loved haunt of Barley Wood, and take up her abode in Clifton, though I'm not sure where). Anyway all of that happened in 1825 or thereabouts, but the house I saw today was significantly younger and probably built in the late Victorian/early Edwardian period. It is a very substantial property extended some 30 or so years ago by the present owner and one which I found largely in good condition and free from major defect. It is a well built property having a boarded and tiled roof under stone walls which are ofsubstantial construction. It has plenty of outbuildings and for the sporting enthusiasts all right amenities are very close to hand…   more »

Liverpool FC play on/at Anfield Park and also in Liverpool there is another park, 200 acres of land known as Sefton Park, a very popular tourist area that is regularly visited. Today I was not in Liverpool but I was in a road that is also regularly visited judging by the amount of cars parked on either side of it, so making travel along it a precarious business. The house I was asked to see is a mid-terraced property that has clearly been occupied for many, many years, I suspect by very elderly people who have moved on. (Where they have moved onto I'm afraid I don't know!) They have however left the house empty but it is a house that is going to require everything doing to it internally. Externally it requires some attention but not a new roof and the gutters to the rear can remain as can windows to the front. Money can be saved on the roof and spent on restoring the front elevation and it will then l become one of the smartest houses in Liverpool sorry, Bristol. Internally, like I say everything needs to be done, but that in one respect is of great benefit because my Clients can restore it to how they want and not how someone else would like them to live, if you see what I mean. They must be careful not to capitalise on it, but there is no real reason not to proceed…   more »

Otherwise known as St Werburgh's, when you are selling. Today I looked at another small one-bedroom flat in a four-storey semi-detached house that was originally converted by Bristol Housing Association who morphed into People for Places, but I suspect is still the same old housing association. Here however I believe squatters got into the property so instead of renovating it they sold it to Dave, that's that's not his correct name, the developer who then renovated the property. He didn't do a bad job, but the access to the roof was sealed for ever because whilst scaffolding was surrounding the house someone tried to get into the skylight. Now of course to clear the parapet gutter a tower scaffold will be needed. Steve, the stainer did appalling job of staining the floor, and what an awful colour he chose; at the very least the skirting boards will require re-decorating. That aside, the flat wasn't in poor condition, it was light and bright and I liked it and again, all things being considered, I see no reason why my client should not safely proceed…   more »

I have been advised by a couple of agents that they missed my blog, of keeping everyone up-to-date with what I'm doing. The truth of the matter is that the first two weeks of the year I was away, because it's always a very quiet time of year for me and when I got back I had a bit of work to do which is good. However I am going to endeavour to get these blogs back up and running.

Today I went to see a small one-bedroom flat in Totterdown where I was told there was no access into the roof space, so there would be no access onto the roof. I had already envisaged the roof being concealed behind a parapet wall and that is what I found. However, as I was looking at the ground floor flat which had a single-storey extension I was able to place my ladders on its roof and clamber up to look at the inverted ridge roof over the main building. Fortunately there were no serious defects here, but of course there is no way that anyone can clear the parapet gutter very easily. The flat itself is in a fairly quiet road and was reasonably priced and in reasonably good condition and therefore I see no reason why my Client should not safely proceed…   more »