We lived in a converted Welsh chapel … a wonderful space - life moves on though and it was too big for us and the urge to adventure needed us to flit (as they say in Scotland, land of my birth … I’ll be passing through from Forres near Inverness to Gretna via Biggar where my grandparents farmed (from Friday)). I can’t attach a picture of the chapel here so I’ll pop it in Notes and tag you, Yasmin, for curiosity’s sake.
A converted chapel sounds lovely. Did it have stained glass windows?
You remind me of a time when I nearly bought a church - it was 'decommissioned' and ready for conversion. If memory serves me well, the sale price was in the region of £14,000 and I could afford it. I was put off by the area though, the surrounding houses were not pretty. And lord knows how much it would have cost to turn it into a home.
We were very lucky someone else had the vision to make the conversion and we were the first folk into it. A very special home … we also hosted a supper club there in our deli days - fabulous memories. Ours had one stained glass window, a rose - perfect for Rose Chapel!
Yes, I'm blessed to have good caring people around me, and I'm loving it all so far. Ask me again mid-summer (midges), and again mid-winter (freezing temps). We'll see!
It looks really cool, Yasmin! Much different than I expected bc in my first job out of college, I lived in the redwoods in rural northern Calif and my boss, a small press publisher, had us working out of his barn. It was quite nippy in the winters, working on his (new at the time) Selectric typewriter. Did not look nearly as cushy and sweet as yours! But it was kinda cool looking, old barn-y red.
I've yet to experience the nippy winters here in Scotland, Jeanine, but I hope that the good insulation and a warming log-burning fire will keep me toasty!
In the UK, I think there is a distinction between allotment and garden plot. An allotment is a patch of land, often set a distance from the homeowners' own garden, where fruit and vegetables are grown. Usually a number of allotments are corralled together on the edge of a town or a village. A garden plot is more likely to be a patch of land within the boundary of, next to, or close to, a residential property.
aha! What we called in the US during the last half of the twentieth century, "victory gardens," started on the outskirts of cities and towns where a field is divided up into plots for families to have a larger garden to feed a family. Thanks for the clarification.
Have you ever lived in a converted property—a barn, a warehouse, a factory, a houseboat, a windmill…?
We lived in a converted Welsh chapel … a wonderful space - life moves on though and it was too big for us and the urge to adventure needed us to flit (as they say in Scotland, land of my birth … I’ll be passing through from Forres near Inverness to Gretna via Biggar where my grandparents farmed (from Friday)). I can’t attach a picture of the chapel here so I’ll pop it in Notes and tag you, Yasmin, for curiosity’s sake.
A converted chapel sounds lovely. Did it have stained glass windows?
You remind me of a time when I nearly bought a church - it was 'decommissioned' and ready for conversion. If memory serves me well, the sale price was in the region of £14,000 and I could afford it. I was put off by the area though, the surrounding houses were not pretty. And lord knows how much it would have cost to turn it into a home.
I look forward to seeing your pic in Notes!!
We were very lucky someone else had the vision to make the conversion and we were the first folk into it. A very special home … we also hosted a supper club there in our deli days - fabulous memories. Ours had one stained glass window, a rose - perfect for Rose Chapel!
Idyllic.
I have only just made the link that you are Christian’s mother in law!
Hahaha! Yes. That was a clever deduction!
Lucky you. He’s a good person :) it’s quite a move you’ve all made! Such a beautiful part of the UK
Yes, I'm blessed to have good caring people around me, and I'm loving it all so far. Ask me again mid-summer (midges), and again mid-winter (freezing temps). We'll see!
hmm true! Those Scottish midges don’t mess about!
It looks really cool, Yasmin! Much different than I expected bc in my first job out of college, I lived in the redwoods in rural northern Calif and my boss, a small press publisher, had us working out of his barn. It was quite nippy in the winters, working on his (new at the time) Selectric typewriter. Did not look nearly as cushy and sweet as yours! But it was kinda cool looking, old barn-y red.
I've yet to experience the nippy winters here in Scotland, Jeanine, but I hope that the good insulation and a warming log-burning fire will keep me toasty!
Interesting to hear of your barn days!
Oh I am sure your insulation and log-burning fire will do the trick, and — layering!! A sure fire antidote!
Sounds wonderful, your proposed alterations sound reasonable and pragmatic. Good to see that you are embracing sustainable construction and living.
It is wonderful and, for sure, I'm going to re-use materials whenever I can. The solar project will be interesting.
Interesting it is called a stead as in homesteading. I also find it curious that across the pond they refer to allotments as garden plots.
Yes, I made the link to homesteading as well.
In the UK, I think there is a distinction between allotment and garden plot. An allotment is a patch of land, often set a distance from the homeowners' own garden, where fruit and vegetables are grown. Usually a number of allotments are corralled together on the edge of a town or a village. A garden plot is more likely to be a patch of land within the boundary of, next to, or close to, a residential property.
aha! What we called in the US during the last half of the twentieth century, "victory gardens," started on the outskirts of cities and towns where a field is divided up into plots for families to have a larger garden to feed a family. Thanks for the clarification.
Yes, exactly that, Jill. Very popular with keen gardeners and people who live in apartments!