The hard winter hasn't been at all kind to Calcott Hall (YMGW passim). The walls appear in reasonable shape, although they won't be for much longer, as in many places there is very little mortar remaining. The first two floors of the central staircase seem fairly sound, but the rooms giving off these are in a very poor state of repair.
The photographs suggest that the Hall is in better condition than it is. New floors are needed throughout, and new joists in a number of the rooms. The doors with semi-circular lights, giving off the hall and stairs, are in good condition, but all the exterior doors and windows likely need replacing. The latter are universally broken and letting in much water. Some rooms have been invaded by ivy.
Compeyson jilted her at twenty to nine, not twenty-five to twelve, but it could be Miss Havisham who stopped the clock - the Hall is in a decaying time warp. The top floor is in a terrible state. The roof is missing slates and the lantern has collapsed entirely. Miss Havisham must have sat below it in her wedding dress.
It will not be much longer before the central staircase, inundated with water from above, starts to deteriorate badly. The extensive courtyard buildings are suffering too, many slates having been deliberately removed. Not content with owning one of the most awful cars ever made, the erstwhile occupants of the Hall had two Morris Marinas!
4 comments:
Richard, Love the pics of odd spots - the Morris Marina is much maligned - basically an updated Morris Minor with Red Robbo as head of quality control.
Another place to check out - the Cook's Explosives plant at
Penrhyndeudraeth - not sure there is anything left but was busy in WW2.
RGDS RLT
Marina fans will doubtless be up in arms. That it was basically an updated Minor, from 30 years earlier, was the problem: trunnions and lever arm shock absorbers; and Triumph Herald gearboxes. Will check out Cookes. Might find some explosives with which to blow up the Marinas!
Sometime back Owen Shaw sent me a picture of an Austin Marina taken at a car show in Huntsville, Ontario. He says "There was a classic car show on in Huntsville when we were there. I was horrified to see a 'Marina' there. Here's what Wikipedia says about this prestigious vehicle (it was known as the 'Austin Marina' in North America apparently):
'The model has been widely identified as symptomatic of the problems facing the industry at that time, with poor build quality, handling likened to a 'skip on wheels' and outdated design. The 1980 replacement for the Marina, the closely related Ital, received similar criticism. The Marina has been described as one of the worst cars of all time.'
I admit it was a 'parts-bin' car with a name that sounded vaguely like Cortina. The fastback coupe with the boat-anchor 'B' series motor was a classic.
My dad used to have a Marina. He had to drive it in his wellies, because for some reason, there was a little lake in the floor pan, where the pedals were. I thought it was a magic car...
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