Hi Jim & DBaily,
It is easy to form a generalised and maybe quite incorrect impression of the state of building conservation here in Hampshire, England. I am in regular contact with Richard Haddlesey and have been inside most of the buildings that feature in the photo collage on his website. Most of these buildings were originally researched and recorded by members of the Hampshire Field Club and in particular by Elizabeth Lewis, Kenneth & Edward Roberts and Nigel Fradgely (RCHM). I have even made my own small contribution towards this growing body of knowledge.
Examining a selection of 100 or so seriously old buildings does not provide a truly representative sample of the styles and techniques employed in timber framed buildings in the Western home counties of England (Surrey, Hampshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire). Most of the old buildings that have survived have done so not because of enlightened building conservation policy since today's "building conservation officer" only came into place in the mid 1980's. I can recall a period back in the late 1960's when the owners of similar cottages were being served with "unfit for human habitation" demolition notices because they did not have adequate indoor plumbing and if it was too expensive to effect improvements then maybe the building owner elected to sell or was forced to demolish.
In our own village of Bramley , North Hampshire the American army preparing for the "D" Day landings had some fun using their tanks to demolish 4 thatched timber framed cottages that previously stood at Hollycross farm crossroads. They did not uses live munitions but instead choose to drive straight through the cottages and in the process pulverised them to matchwood. These energetic young men were our saviours and so no bad feeling exists today amongst villagers about this sad loss from the historic housing stock. Maybe the American Army and the TFG could come and rebuild them ?
What goes around comes around and it is now the turn of the buildings occupied by the American soldiers (an ablution block) that is now a cause for some concern today. Inside this block graffittii still remains in place scribed by those young men who were about to sacrifice their lives on the beaches of Normandy. It is heartbreaking to read some of the enscriptions. This building is slowly slipping back into the landscape being now totally submerged by ivy.
I had hoped that we have learnt a lot more about our built heritage since those previous uninformed times but alas a loss of our historic housing stock still continues to happen expecially on unidentified buildings that are not "listed". For example, I know of 2 cruck framed buildings in Oxfordshire that are not listed and Surrey has only one well known cruck framed building but even with this rarity value it is not listed. Listing affords a degree of protection but since most of the designations were based on "drive by" type surveys the conservation officer still might have no real knowledge of the makeup or history of a particular building and so internal changes can still proceed unchecked especially since the conservation officer has no power of entry.
It is worth keeping in mind that buildings exists to serve the needs of people and not the other way round.
The people of Hampshire acknowledge and salute the ultimate sacrifice made by some of the American and Canadian soldier's whose names are "on the wall" of the ablution block.
Regards
Ken Hume
Last edited by Ken Hume; 11/13/10 10:32 AM.
