Some questions for the Brit's

[PTsideshow]

Ok wife is now subscribing to Netflix, and we have been rewatching the series  called midsommer murders with John Nettles. Along with the other British Detective series of assorted names and vintages. Since they are set in fictitious villages in said fictitious area of midsommer.

Is every house, cottage and hall named?

Are there really so many places that have thatched roofs still?
Do they have some kind of permanent water proof roofing underneath?
How often does the roof thatched have to be replaced?
It would seem that it would be expensive to replace?
And do you have to replace it, due to some heritage law or can you put a different type roof material on it?
 

[lordedmond]

Hi
not sure about all having names but most do
Yes there are lots of thatched cotages around all over the place say from the midlands down there are evan some new builds with straw hats on
no they do not have anything under the reeds/straw in a proper job   ( reeds or straw depends on where you are in the country )
about 25 years but they can be topped up in the interim ( they are a compost heap on your house so they do rot down and produce heat )
to put a new one on upwards of £40 K
they will be listed and local bylaws would privet the replacement with anything other that thatch  ( the native would go berserk as well )

Locally to us there are plenty around Castle Donnington air port  most have birds made from straw on the top as an finishing touch , the ridge style ect. are all local custom and other areas have different ones

hope that helps

Stuart

[Meldonmech]

   Well summarized lordedmund

                                                   Cheers David

[Fergus OMore]

If you Google Earth a place called Knuston Hall, Irchester, you will actually see where they teach thatching as one of the courses. There are several thatched places within the hall area.

My wife and I go regularly to the saxophone and clarinet courses held  there.

Of course, if you check again the place was associated with the Arkwright family of the Spinning Jenny connection.

[angus]

If you Google Earth a place called Knuston Hall, Irchester, you will actually see where they teach thatching as one of the courses. There are several thatched places within the hall area.

My wife and I go regularly to the saxophone and clarinet courses held  there.

Of course, if you check again the place was associated with the Arkwright family of the Spinning Jenny connection.

do you live local to this place fergus?

[PTsideshow]

Ok thanks, as to the cost that is what I thought. And the rest about what I guesstimated. Beats the coppers on the show having to repeat 39 hogs head lane each time it is mentioned.

[Pete W.]

SNIP

Is every house, cottage and hall named?

SNIP
 

Many years ago, someone I knew moved from East London to a village in Dorset.  Their address there was 'Number 3, the Cottages opposite the Post Office'.

It seemed to work - I suppose they have a Post-Code (aka Zip-Code) now!

[Fergus OMore]

do you live local to this place fergus?

No, we are peri-pathetic and commute between being next door to an asylum, a whisky trail( Scots, of course) and a cave where a one eyed, deaf Arab used to keep a village maiden( well that was her story)

Norman

[bp]

Some of the place names are delightful too.  In 1970 I went to have a look at a "charming cottage" in Nether Wallop, there was also an Upper Wallop, Lower Wallop and of course Middle Wallop, there are probably more.  This place was delightful, 4' thick stone walls, thatch roof, etc etc.  Apparently built in the 1400s or thereabouts.  Walking around the place I noticed that there appeared to be a 2' or 3' high levee bank around the boundary.  Asking the real estate guy "what's that for?", he replied "In case the river floods", says I "...when was the last flood?", says he "1592".
Ultimately I couldn't afford the place, but it was really delightful.
Before we emigrated to Australia, my better half worked at a Solicitors office in Midsomer Norton.  Just down the road was a place called Shepton Mallet.  It goes on and on............
cheers
Bill

[vtsteam]

I used to live in Susan. A town in Virginia. Nearby was Shadow. Actually they didn't call them towns. They called them courthouses. And if you drove someone someplace it was called "carrying" them. So you might hear someone say, "I carried mumma down to Matthews courthouse to get a loaf of bread."

Another nearby town was named Onemo. Pronounced Oh Nemo. But that was an affectation adopted only fifty years before when it had been pronounced One Mo, because it was just one more post office, and little more.

Then there's Pennsylvania..........


ps. Forgot to mention another nearby town, Fort Nonsense.

[Fergus OMore]

I like 'Pity Me' and 'No place' Both in County Durham but I was born in a place called 'Ryton' or Right On, if you must.

I've been to Lower Slaughter in the Cotswolds and lived to tell the tale. It doesn't compare with a delightful place near Dead Friars called Shitlington Common. Not too far away is a much amended place called Shilbottle.

Sort of English humour, I suppose.

[awemawson]

Well what about the Piddles ?

The River Piddle runs through several villages that take it's name such as Piddletrentide, Piddlehinton, then in the lower reaches they become Puddles, so Affpuddle, Briantspuddle, and of course the famous Tolpuddle of the Tolpuddle Martyrs fame (first formation of a Union - (agricultural labourers)

This is what happens when you have many centuries of history behind you - things evolve.

Andrew

[Fergus OMore]

I have a wee Bhutt and Bhein North of the Highland Line which separates the Gaels from the Sassenachs It's near Loch Ness and obviously has the  monster. ( well that's the story to be taken after a  number of wee drams.
Happily, the place on the River Spey is called Aviemore- and its incumbents are called Avie-morons.
Naturally 'Fergus O'more' is the mythical creature like BigFoot, the Long Grey Man, the Kelpie and the Abominable Snowman and across the hill lives 'Big Ears' and according to the Divine Right of Kings and all that jazz- will become King of England- someday.

Meanwhile- I am writing this from a GinGan or gingang. The people in White Coats are heading this way- bye!

[NormanV]

In Hertfodshire is a village called Cold Christmas.

[Swarfing]

When in France we frequent the GanGet, i visit my friend who lives in Newzealand  (only takes 20 mins to get there) just outside Swindon, This used to be pronounce Swine-don from the fact it was a pig market town a few centurays ago. I think they left quite a few swines here when they left?

[spuddevans]

Just outside our town there is a area called "Purgatory", also on the other side of town is a little village called "Bleary"

But near where my wife is from in Lancashire there is a place whose name really cracks me up, Ramsbottom, and yes, there is an Upper Ramsbottom, I always imagine people saying in response to the question "where do you come from?" "I come from Upper Ramsbottom" (up-a-rams-bottom)

Funny things place names...

Tim

[DMIOM]

I can remember being tickled when, on a trip from university to the Jodrell Bank radio observatory, the coach driver pointed out a road-side footpath entrance with a stile labelled "Peover" for the nearby villages.

[S. Heslop]

Just outside our town there is a area called "Purgatory", also on the other side of town is a little village called "Bleary"

But near where my wife is from in Lancashire there is a place whose name really cracks me up, Ramsbottom, and yes, there is an Upper Ramsbottom, I always imagine people saying in response to the question "where do you come from?" "I come from Upper Ramsbottom" (up-a-rams-bottom)

Funny things place names...

Tim

Back when we lived in Cockermouth in Cumbria we used to know a Ramsbottom family. The dad of the family was called Richard. So we used to know a Dick Ramsbottom from Cockermouth in Cumbria.

[Fergus OMore]

So you( Simon)  moved from the Derwent to-- the Derwent! 

Cheers

Norman

[dsquire]

So you( Simon)  moved from the Derwent to-- the Derwent! 

Cheers

Norman

Norman

 

Cheers 

Don

[Bluechip]

So you( Simon)  moved from the Derwent to-- the Derwent! 

Cheers

Norman

Norman

 

Cheers 

Don

 
Presumably because there are several rivers in UK called 'Derwent' ( I live about 3 miles from one )
 
Having ( maybe ) cleared that one up, ...
 
Why has no-one mentioned 'Lickey End' yet ... 
 
Bon appetit ...
 
Dave BC

[Fergus OMore]

Exactly! There are two rivers- actually there are more but heigh ho, called Derwent in England.

There are actually two river Tynes- one in Scotland and one in England-perhaps 50 miles apart.

The odd thing is that my family also came from the Cumbrian Cocker which flows into the  Derwent and into the Durham Derwent- and flows into the Tyne- the south one- not the South Tyne which is part of the Tyne in England.

Now , kind sir, you must memorise this carefully as Newcastle is actually the old castle and the Roman Wall- there are two- again some 50 miles apart , was built-- by the French. Of course the bridge which spanned the Tyne had--piles.

You got all this? So what has this to do with model engineering, you may ask? Well, George Stephenson was born on the banks of the Tyne- the English one. So was Armstrong and quite a lot of engineers. Ryton where I was born was the place that Parsons played with his model turbines.
A bit before my time- I think!

[mattinker]

Exactly! There are two rivers- actually there are more but heigh ho, called Derwent in England.

There are actually two river Tynes- one in Scotland and one in England-perhaps 50 miles apart.

The odd thing is that my family also came from the Cumbrian Cocker which flows into the  Derwent and into the Durham Derwent- and flows into the Tyne- the south one- not the South Tyne which is part of the Tyne in England.

Now , kind sir, you must memorise this carefully as Newcastle is actually the old castle and the Roman Wall- there are two- again some 50 miles apart , was built-- by the French. Of course the bridge which spanned the Tyne had--piles.

You got all this? So what has this to do with model engineering, you may ask? Well, George Stephenson was born on the banks of the Tyne- the English one. So was Armstrong and quite a lot of engineers. Ryton where I was born was the place that Parsons played with his model turbines.
A bit before my time- I think!

Hi Norman,

although well founded, your enigmatic prose is sometimes too enigmatic to be comprehensible without sub-titles!

Regards, Matthew

[awemawson]

Much of the Roman Wall was built by people from what is now Spain

Andrew

[Pete.]

Some of the place names are delightful too.  In 1970 I went to have a look at a "charming cottage" in Nether Wallop, there was also an Upper Wallop, Lower Wallop and of course Middle Wallop, there are probably more. 

The film "Keeping Mum" starring Maggie Smith, Rowan Atkinson and Kristin Scott Thomas is set in the village of Little Wallop. It's a fantastic watch especially for our colonial cousins looking for a bit of stereotypical 'Britishness'.

'Would you like a cup of tea?'

[dsquire]

Exactly! There are two rivers- actually there are more but heigh ho, called Derwent in England.

There are actually two river Tynes- one in Scotland and one in England-perhaps 50 miles apart.

The odd thing is that my family also came from the Cumbrian Cocker which flows into the  Derwent and into the Durham Derwent- and flows into the Tyne- the south one- not the South Tyne which is part of the Tyne in England.

Now , kind sir, you must memorise this carefully as Newcastle is actually the old castle and the Roman Wall- there are two- again some 50 miles apart , was built-- by the French. Of course the bridge which spanned the Tyne had--piles.

You got all this? So what has this to do with model engineering, you may ask? Well, George Stephenson was born on the banks of the Tyne- the English one. So was Armstrong and quite a lot of engineers. Ryton where I was born was the place that Parsons played with his model turbines.
A bit before my time- I think!

Norman

Regards my original reply to your post regarding "Derwent".

Being from Canada I don't know the names of many of the rivers, streams, brooks and puddles in the UK. Matter of fact I didn't know that Derwent was a river. I didn't know what your post meant. I even did a search on MadModder for "Derwent" and got a couple of hits on underwent and the one in your post.

With my luck, when the British crossed the pond they probably named a bunch of things Derwent. I just have not came accross any of them yet. 

Cheers 

Don

[tom osselton]

With banger's an mash?

[Pete.]

With banger's an mash?

Bangers  & Mash - yesterday's supper!

[Swarfing]

Surely Bubble and Squeak was yesterdays supper?

[doubleboost]

With banger's an mash?

Sausages & mashed potato
John

[S. Heslop]

Exactly! There are two rivers- actually there are more but heigh ho, called Derwent in England.

There are actually two river Tynes- one in Scotland and one in England-perhaps 50 miles apart.

The odd thing is that my family also came from the Cumbrian Cocker which flows into the  Derwent and into the Durham Derwent- and flows into the Tyne- the south one- not the South Tyne which is part of the Tyne in England.

Now , kind sir, you must memorise this carefully as Newcastle is actually the old castle and the Roman Wall- there are two- again some 50 miles apart , was built-- by the French. Of course the bridge which spanned the Tyne had--piles.

You got all this? So what has this to do with model engineering, you may ask? Well, George Stephenson was born on the banks of the Tyne- the English one. So was Armstrong and quite a lot of engineers. Ryton where I was born was the place that Parsons played with his model turbines.
A bit before my time- I think!

I was once told that Derwent was Celtic for valley and googling around seems to confirm this (and suggest it means more specifically a valley heavy with oak trees).

I also just traced the Derwent river of Gateshead on a map to check if there's any connection to the Derwent reservoir and it surprised me that it does indeed drain said reservoir. I was told as a kid that it had no connection to the reservoir, and with the name Derwent being pretty common anyways I didn't question it.

Also I was born in Newcastle and moved to Cumbria when I was about 1, then moved back this way when 4. So hopefully I can still claim i'm a true Geordie (and then pretend i'm not a tourist whenever I visit the lakes).

[John Stevenson]

Couple of months ago i had to belt down to Northampton to collect a log burner from some little village in the back of beyond, no that wasn't it's name.

At the same time I arranged to meet Andrew Mawson who happened to be in the area on that day at a local pub in a convenient village.

It must be a nightmare for the local postie in these areas as when i was going cross country I passed thru 5 villages all called Adverse Camber according to the sign as you entered the village.

[doubleboost]

Couple of months ago i had to belt down to Northampton to collect a log burner from some little village in the back of beyond, no that wasn't it's name.

At the same time I arranged to meet Andrew Mawson who happened to be in the area on that day at a local pub in a convenient village.

It must be a nightmare for the local postie in these areas as when i was going cross country I passed thru 5 villages all called Adverse Camber according to the sign as you entered the village.

There are a few up here as well 

[garym]

The Derbyshire River Derwent flows through some of the most beautiful and interesting parts of the English countryside. Starting above the Derwent valley reservoirs where the Dambusters practised for dropping the bouncing bomb in WWII and later flowing past Chatsworth House, one of the best stately homes, and then past Richard Arkwright's Mill at Cromford before ending up joining the River Trent in John Stevenson territory near Nottingham. I've spent many a happy hour walking along its banks.

Gary

[doubleboost]

Surely Bubble and Squeak was yesterdays supper?

It is normally the veg from a Sunday lunch fried up 
John

[Pete.]

Surely Bubble and Squeak was yesterdays supper?

Yer can't have bubble & squeak unless it's with bacon, eggs and black pudding

[John Stevenson]

Yer can't have bubble & squeak unless it's with bacon, eggs and black pudding

With fried bread.

Went into this posh restaurant, must have been posh, they had table cloths.
Ordered the all day breakfast with fried bread instead of toast.

"Sorry Sir we don't do fried bread "

"OK just serve it with a freeking big croûton then ..........................."

[Fergus OMore]

 We were watching the local electricians during the maintenance at the top of the wooden poles and my neighbour quipped 'Don't they do well with those croutons?' No?

I was following the comments about  our various 'hachis' which became 'haggis' in Scots.

Then came a bit in QI about the variations in translation about the Burns Supper and the Chinese New Year held together and the German translation about 'the Mighty Fuhrer of the Sausage  People'
No?

Well, I'd didn't do the deep fried Curlie Whirlies beloved wherever the border is at the moment.

I hear that the SNP are going to tow Scotland away from England

[bp]

I hear that the SNP are going to tow Scotland away from England

In the mid 60s, at the time that Rhodesia declared independence and became Zimbabwe, (remember UDI??), I was on the Isle of Wight, and there was quite a strong push for independence for the Isle of Wight.  There was even talk of a bridge to the mainland at the same time, maybe the two were linked!

cheers
Bill

[Fergus OMore]

I was thinking about thatched roofs and it should be mentioned that the alternative was a turfed roof especially in Scotland. This is why Scotland has so many corrugated iron roofs on country farms and cottages as replacements.

[Pete.]

I ain't having any dirty sods up on my roof

[BronxFigs]

So interesting to read about all the different names, customs, and conventions within the realm of our forum members. 

In the United States the names of many towns, rivers, regions are derived from old, Indian words....like the Susquehanna and Housatonic Rivers.  God only knows how "Blue Balls".... "Bird-in-Hand" and "Intercourse" Pennsylvania got their names.   I don't think I want to know.  Some things are best left unexplained.


Frank

[tom osselton]

There is one sod roof on vancouver island for a farmers market they let the goats go on it to keep the grass down.

[awemawson]

so you don't need a roofing ladder you need a hoofing ladder 

Andrew

[tom osselton]

We never hoofed it we took the car!

[beeshed]

Finding this thread reminded me that I must put my house sign back up. Been down for twenty something years but the TV tax demands still find me. After half a century the postie knows the occupant not the house name. All but Church Lane 1,2 &3 have names which means sometimes incomers like to change them because they can.
The new owners of Heatherside have renamed it Chapel House but most know it as Elaine's after the last postmistress who ran the Post office in the old chapel next door (vacant when they built a bigger chapel). Not to be confused with the cottage called The Old Post Office' where Elaine's mother and grandmother were post mistresses before. Neither chapel is near Chapel Ford named after the other chapel whose outline can still just be seen in the field opposite.
It is not uncommon for the older residents to call a place by its one time occupant who may have been dead 40 years so I don't know the names of all the houses so instead know 'Major Warne's, Moorlocks, and Mrs James' houses.

[tom osselton]

I ain't having any dirty sods up on my roof

It is better than having the dirty sod's living with you! 

[zimma]

Well what about the Piddles ?

Haha, small world. I live in Piddletrenthide!

[awemawson]

Well what about the Piddles ?

Haha, small world. I live in Piddletrenthide!

Very nice part of the world. Spent several holidays in a borrowed cottage in Cerne Abbas when I was a boy. I hope that you've kept the Cerne Giant sparkling white