Dear John
A thoroughly interesting and absorbing read. The research must have taken
you many hours, days and months.
It seems that the bare light bulb wasn't being switched on by a 'ghost'
after all!
Reflecting on Martin's original message in drawing this story to our
attention, if there are any family heirlooms still lying around inside the
premises, then it would be a great shame if the living present-day
descendants of the Penny family are not given the chance for a first
refusal, before photographs, papers and objects are dispersed to the four
winds and/or thrown away.
I guess the listing of the building will be the main issue for any person
wanting to restore it, since there are often stringent guidelines and
regulations.
In the case of Dennis Hall at Amblecote, the home of the ironmaster Thomas
Hill (1736-1824), who founded Blaenavon Ironworks with others, the local
council stepped in to have some of the conditions lifted so the mansion
could be developed into superb, separate luxury apartments, retaining the
building's architectural proportions and style, along with restoring the
original plasterwork, that had been destroyed by a fire which reduced the
central interior to a pile of wet building debris, with a view to the sky
through a hole in the open roof:
http://www.blackcountrybugle.co.uk/Dennis-Hall-beenbrresurrected/story-20...
I photographed the derelict state of the house, as you have done with The
Old Crow Inn, and went round with Nick Baker, who founded the Amblecote
History Society, chatting to people locally, including a vicar or two, about
the historical importance of the property, and the restoration ended up
being very spectacular indeed:
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-39873353.html
It has to be accepted that, in its original form, the mansion was redundant
in the modern day and age - so permitting the 'modernisation' of the
interior has enabled the property to be tastefully restored and become of
lasting value to the community, rather than being left to rack and ruin and
destroyed through the application of draconian listed-building restrictions,
thereby making any realistic restoration unviable.
So, there's hope for The Old Crow Inn yet!
Best regards
Clive
www.secret-bottletop.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "John Ball via" <powys(a)rootsweb.com>
To: <martin(a)mbriscoe.me.uk>; <powys(a)rootsweb.com>
Sent: Tuesday, February 10, 2015 3:27 PM
Subject: Re: [POWYS] The 'Cloud House'
Dear Martin,
The deserted house is "The Old Crow" and is situated in England - at
Willersley, Herefordshire, just a few miles from the Welsh border.
Over the past two years I have conducted extensive research into the
history
of the building and its various occupants. On my website, I have created a
lengthy webpage setting out the results of my research, under the title
"The
Tumbledown Cottage":
www.jlb2011.co.uk/specials/index.htm
My webpage includes the latest news on the fate of the building, now in
the
hands of a developer/restorer.
Kind regards,
John
--------------------
John Ball, Brecon, Mid-Wales, UK
E-mail: john(a)jlb2011.co.uk
Personal Homepage:
http://www.jlb2011.co.uk
Images of Wales:
http://www.jlb2011.co.uk/walespic/
Welsh Family History Archive:
http://www.jlb2011.co.uk/wales/
Blog:
http://johnofbrecon.com
Webmaster, Breconshire Local & Family History Society
http://www.blfhs.co.uk/
GENUKI Breconshire Maintainer:
http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/BRE/
Administrator - Powys RootsWeb mailing list
-----Original Message-----
From: Martin Briscoe via
Sent: Tuesday, February 10, 2015 2:17 PM
To: powys(a)rootsweb.com
Subject: [POWYS] The 'Cloud House'
The Daily Mail has an article on a deserted house that has been 'found' in
mid-Wales though no location given.
Just hope that it is not trashed or all stolen, the contents should really
be acquired by a museum.
http://goo.gl/BomUHM
Martin Briscoe
Fort William
martin(a)mbriscoe.me.uk
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