Sing along now … "Where are we going? We don't know, When will we get there? We're not certain, All that we know is we are on our way … etc." A truly great movie for a rainy Sunday afternoon.
Anyhoo … I found this charmingly picturesque fixer-upper in the corner of a meadow behind an abandoned farmhouse in North Norfolk, part of a vast estate where Old Dive's historic building conservation talents were called upon.
I'm just chock full of fun facts to bore you with today. You know that posh wainscotting round the lower walls of the homes of folk richer than myself? Well that originated as Wægnschott …
Wægn from the Saxon Middle German for wagon or wain (as in Constable's Hay Wain), and schott for sheet. Basically wain-sheet: wooden sheeting around the edges of wagons to stop all the stuff falling out.
Back then animals were kept in the great hall and the family ate and slept up at one end on a raised dais to keep them out of the pee and the poo. The wainscotting protected the wattle and daub walls from the faunal effluvia and as time passed the feature was retained in wealthier houses.
This old wagon (built in 1830 … the estate records are remarkably complete and a treasure house for an obsessive old Aspy like me) retains its wægnschott but I think it'll take more than a lick of paint to get it up and running again.
5 comments:
I've always thought the wainscotting in my kitchen nook was charming, but the phrase "faunal effluvia" gives me pause.
Maybe it's because I've been getting a bit bored with everything lately, but I though this was really interesting! Someday maybe I'll own a posh home with wainscotting. But more likely I'll end up with an old wagon like this!
Petrea, as long as you don't keep pigs and cattle in your kitchen nook your walls should be pretty safe.
Katie, I think that wagon needs covering in mosaic.
Thank you for the lesson on architectural detailing of homes, past and present! Also, thanks for explaining that the pic was of a wagon, not a tumbled-down cottage! (It's been a day drinking afternoon around here.) xoxo
Hee hee, Savannah. I have plenty of photos of tumbledown cottages for your next drinky day. xoxo
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