Little things - for the layout outside the railway fence

[corneliuslundie]

Not a full post this week I am afraid as i have not been anywhere worth taking photos. However, one front door I forgot about last week. Just around the corner from the third one above.

 

 

The Google van must have been by at school coming out time.

 

And here is one from the distant past. How not to model a buttress:

 

Photographed somewhere in the Forest of Dean on one of my cycle tours.

Jonathan

[mike morley]

I discovered a while ago that buttresses are surprisingly difficult to model convincingly. It is somehow reassuring to see that builders find them equally difficult.

[Nearholmer]

Here is The Modellers Friend among buttresses: the stick-on cast-iron type.

 

 

These weird things adorn, and I think that’s all they do, part of the immensely-long wall that goes for miles round the Duke of Bedford’s estate at Woburn.

 

We found them in the course of a walk during the latter part of Lockdown 1, when outdoor exercise was just-about allowed. I had been scouring the local OS map for new walks, where hardly anyone would be, and found a public FP that runs around the boundary of the safari park, affording good views of the giraffe and elephant paddocks, which was a good way of getting the children motivated. Apparently others also found the path, and it became so over-used that the DoB got a temporary stopping-up order placed on it.

[mike morley]

I might not be in the least bit religious (many, many years ago I was married to a fully-ordained White Witch) but that doesnt stop me appreciating the charm of the county's numerous chapels.

 

Weedon, Northants, close to the WCML.  There's quite a bit of graffiti gouged into the stonework that even I found offensive.

 

At the very top of Cwm Rheidol.  As your train exits Devils Bridge station, look down to your right and you will see this.  The high hedges surrounding it make it difficult to photograph, which is why I couldnt quite get all of it in.

 

Disused, on the outskirts of Pennal (I think)

 

Finally, just round the corner from me.  Not actually a chapel at all, but wouldnt it make a good one?

 

[Nearholmer]

This beautifully austere ‘worship barn’ is near where I grew up in Sussex, and always impressed me. Rehobeth Chapel of Strict Baptists at Jarvis Brook. It was founded by seceders from another chapel, Forest Fold, of which earlier generations of my father’s family were adherents. They regarded the CofE as dangerously decadent, so I had to walk three miles to primary school, rather than attend the CofE one on the doorstep!

 

 

(photo Wikipedia, Creative Commons licensed)

[corneliuslundie]

This is my favourite chapel, miles from anywhere (except Dolgoch youth hostel and a farm or two within a few miles) near the head of Llyn Brianne. It comes complete with a stable for the visiting minister's horse. Last time I was there there was a service (it was once a month at that time) with quite a few people there from Llandovery and area. They made a day out of it. Internally it is interesting as it still has the congregation facing the side wall so that there is a window behind the pulpit to light the speaker's papers.

Jonathan

 

[corneliuslundie]

Late again. Just two photos this week.

The first is about half a century old, a derelict long house above Barmouth. I really don't know how much more it has collapsed since then.

 

And something completely different and again a very old photo. Probably not some thing for the average layout though.

 

About 35 years ago on a cycling holiday I visited the Forest of Dean, At that time there was a quite big sculpture trail. It included a section of the old railway line, now a path, where sleepers had been carved into the shape of figures, giant feathers etc. There were deer made out of willow leaping over a pond and a giant chair on an open hilltop. And this "stained glass window".

Jonathan

 

[mike morley]

The furthest I've been in the last week or so was to Sainsbury's, so I've nothing new to contribute, but while searching for a picture of something else I stumbled across this.

 

This pair are in Stewkley, in Buckinghamshire.

Both interesting buildings that would make good models, especially the nearer one (although I'm not too sure about the mustard-coloured paint!) without being in the least bit ostentatious.  That tank (diesel?) at the far end adds a certain something, but it would be a challenge to include the wooden-clad water pump where the two buildings meet without making the resulting model look a bit twee or cutesy.

 

[Nearholmer]

There is a very good sculpture park on bog land that is recovering after peat extraction at Lough Boora in Ireland, one of many engaging exhibits being ‘Sky Train’ by Michael Bulfin, which is an entire 3ft gauge train, which appears to be leaping out of the landscape. I haven’t scanned my photos, so this one is stolen from Bord and Mona. Great place to watch hares racing and boxing too.

 

The Stewkley buildings are very similar to a row that i modelled after some in my old home town in Sussex. That sort of thing is fast disappearing, often getting gentrified, which is a great pity. There’s an absolutely “wonderful” house and rake of outbuildings in Newton Longeville that needs to be reproduced in model form before the inevitable happens (collapse of gentrification). Street view shows a glimpse.

 

 

Edited November 30, 2021 by Nearholmer

[mike morley]

10 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

There’s an absolutely “wonderful” house and rake of outbuildings in Newton Longeville that needs to be reproduced in model form before the inevitable happens (collapse of gentrification).

 The one by the crossroads?

I've often commented on how modellogenic it is when collecting a friend who lives in Newton Longville on model railway club night.  He thinks the place is closer to collapse than gentrification.

[Nearholmer]

That’s the one - photo added.

[mike morley]

 

Not exactly "outside the railway fence", for reasons that are obvious, but I think in a similar vein to the last couple of pictures.  As it happens, I started a model of this some years ago but it ground to a halt when still less than half built because I couldn't decide whether to make it a complete building or half relief.  One day it'll get finished.

This picture was taken not long before it ceased to be the premises of the Laxey Blacksmith, when the Manx Electric evicted him in order to use the building themselves.  I cant remember if they wanted it for a museum or a pw store and workshop.  I believe the blacksmith himself decided to retire.

[Mol_PMB]

That building at Laxey is in a terrible condition structurally, and is currently empty awaiting a decision on its future. 

[mike morley]

16 hours ago, corneliuslundie said:

 a derelict long house above Barmouth.

 

 

I have recently kitbashed a small Welsh upland longhouse from an Airfix church (Link below. Scroll down the page) only to to be told that despite there being two magnificent examples at St Fagans there were actually hardly any longhouses in Wales.  As the man on the scene, what are your thoughts on the subject please, Jonathan?

 

[corneliuslundie]

I don't know, though I shall certainly try to find out.

In the meantime a Google search came up with these:

http://cymdeithastwmbarlwm.blogspot.com/2012/03/discover-ancient-welsh-long-houses-of.html

https://www.peoplescollection.wales/story/378146#:~:text=The longhouse%2C combining dwelling and,Rhayader%2C is a classic example.

http://naturalhomes.org/welsh-longhouse.htm

(a bit odd!)

And strangely there are several two-storey houses which are described as longhouses, often holiday lets so possibly cashing in on the "history" and being sure that anyone renting will be ignorant of what a longhouse was.

Jonathan

[mike morley]

Thanks, Jonathan.

The home of the longhouse is Devon, where there are still scores of them, and Scotland, where there are still quite a few - although, like Jonathan, I find myself looking at the pictures of a lot of them and thinking "Was that ever really a longhouse?".  Part of the problem is that the last of them was built in the 1740's and any building that has survived that long will inevitably have undergone something of an evolution over the subsequent centuries.  I've spent countless hours researching them and at the end of the process felt I knew little more than I'd learned within a few minutes of starting.  The key feature is the position of the 'front door' (actually the door at one end of the cross-passage that separated the living quarters from the byre) in relation to the chimney, and knowing that has lead me to the conclusion that one of the two at St Fagans was either

A) Not restored to how it was originally.

B) Not actually a longhouse

or that

C) The readily-available information on the subject is inaccurate.

D) I am a complete dunce who ought to go to back to playing with Thomas the Tank Engine and Hornby track-mats..

I've long known that I'm fikk (I have to take my shoes and socks off if I want to count beyond ten) so my guess is it's D.

[corneliuslundie]

Three screen grabs from Google Earth today in Montgomery as the weather has not been conducive to hanging around with a camera.

 

First a rather nice half timbered house at the foot of School Bank.

 

Until I noticed that the upper part of the wall facing School Bank is corrugated iron.

 

Next, a manageable size of war memorial, just across the road from the house shown above.

 

Not quite in focus I am afraid.

 

And third, some very traditional style petrol pumps still remain in use at Bunners, the famous ironmongers' shop on the back road up to the town square. There is one each side of the shopfront. I am not sure why Google Earth has decided to blur out the wording because from memory all it says is Petrol and Unleaded on one and Diesel on the other.

 

 

I have read that this style of pump with an arm which swings out across the pavement is no longer legal, but if so the news hasn't reached Montgomery.

Jonathan

Edited December 7, 2021 by corneliuslundie
Forgot to say where

[MrWolf]

It's gone a little quiet on here so after I managed to get out in some good weather yesterday, I have a few pictures that might be useful.

 

 

20 years of weather on a hardwood bench.

 

 

A sheep proof stile in a stone wall. Note the step stone at the base.

 

 

Wooden trap gate in the same wall.

 

 

Hinge detail, top hinge inverted to stop gate disappearing.

 

 

Timber edged steps beyond gate.

 

 

Same wall, different gate. This one is in wrought iron and across the road from a big Victorian house.

 

[corneliuslundie]

I meant to take the camera with me the other day but forgot. Next week hopefully, though the weather is now pretty awful.

Thanks for keeping things going.

But do you really think there is such a thing as a sheep PROOF stile? At least not lamb proof I suspect. They seem to take lessons from Houdini.

Happy New Year to all.

Jonathan

[MrWolf]

They might have become smarter in the last two hundred years. It doesn't stop them walking off the cliffs every so often though.

[mike morley]

My laptop is coming to the end of its life and I found these while working out which pictures I wanted to keep and which ones can be deleted.

 

These were taken in the Forest of Dean  last Spring Bank Holiday.

 

At the Cannop end of Parkend.  I was surprised to realise most of the timber had clearly been cut some time before.

 

 

 

These are more subtle -possibly too subtle to work in anything under 7mm scale.

Adding stability to the parking area opposite the pub on what was once the line twixt Parkend station and Marsh's Siding.

Edited April 22, 2022 by mike morley

[corneliuslundie]

I think those stone blocks should be preserved as relics of the tramways. I assume that that is what they are.

And lovely lichen on the logs.

Jonathan

[mike morley]

Another archive from my hard drive

 

 

 

 

Edited April 26, 2022 by mike morley

[corneliuslundie]

Our last club layout included a canal with narrow boat, but it was derelict and half submerged.

Anyway after a few weeks without inspiration, and mostly not suitable weather for photos, here are three:

 

First a boundary stone for Newtown, though now well within the town (for those who know the town it is on the corner of Park Street where it meets New Road).

 

To be honest I am not sure what this is. It is obviously some kind of low voltage junction box but what for? It is fixed to the outside of a fence which separates a garden from the pavement.

 

Yes, the rather battered remains of a lamp post. It has been like that as long as we have lived in the town.

 

Not promising more next week, but there is always hope. Many thanks to others who have kept the thread alive.

Jonathan

[ChrisN]

It is amazing that when you know something is plentiful how it can hide in plain site.  I have passed this tree every day for years and only noticed the other day

 

 

that is does have mistletoe in it.  Very plentiful around here except when you are looking for it.  (One man I know has an apple tree in a pot that is probably only four or five feet high with a two foot mistletoe ball at the top.)

 

While on the subject of trees

 

 

A rather large bird's nest, maybe a wood pigeon.

 

I can happily post these as I have no plans for trees on my layout.