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There are two schools of thought in the world of restoration: One states that you should put buildings back to how you think they were at some period in the past,
the other that you should simply repair what is there, and let the building move on.
Neither argument gives enough weight to aesthetic criteria or to the emotional impact buildings in my opinion.
Clearly when it came to the Court House in Cowgrove, Wimborne someone in the National Trust did the research
and decided that originally it would have been lime washed all over.
Apparently, the original owners would have wanted to give the impression that it was stone-built, and would have been ashamed of the timber-framing.
No doubt, if pebble-dashing had been available at the time they would have used that instead.
Well I'm sorry, but just because the original owners were pretentious it does not excuse "stone cladding" an ancient building like this.
Exterior oak looks best untreated, and black and white cottages,
rank alongside old ladies cycling to church, warm beer and cricket on the village green in the English psyche.
However it is possible to see what Court House might look like had it not been vandalised, through the magic of Photoshop.
You are quite right, I am but a humble photographer and no expert on timber-framed buildings.
Cleary the 'breathable' nature of lime wash (provided it hasn't been mixed with Casein, Tallow or Raw Linseed Oil to help it stick), could help control dampness, the chief cause of death-watch beetle. But, on the other hand, what lets water out must also let it in, so the difference between lime washing and leaving the timbers untreated must be fairly marginal. Clearly black bitumen would be inappropriate, however.
If overall lime washing is the only practical solution, then so be it. But for me, as a photographer, it is still an aesthetic disaster, and should be avoided if at all possible.
19/06/2008 Mrs. A. Cross
Obviously your writer had made no particular study into the Court House, otherwise he would have found that the beams have been lime-washed in order to try to limit incursions by Deathwatch beetle. It would have been nice to have had the timbers exposed, if they had been new,but because of except for the parlous state of them, most are like sponge, they need the lime to keep the ravages of weather at bay. If they had been painted in bitumenous black, this would have sealed in the damp, and allowed rotting from inside out, at least the lime allows the wood to breathe.
Mrs. A. Cross, Court House, cowgrove, Wimborne.
The house takes its name from John of Gaunt (third son of Edward III), who may have had a hunting lodge in the area.
These days it is home to the Richard Glyn Foundation, an educational charity with a particular emphasis on profound learning.
It runs various residential and day courses and retreats, but the house and grounds are occasionally open as part of other events such as Dorset Arts Week.
External Links and References
External Links
Gaunts House
A bit on the history of the house, but mainly dedicated to its current activities.
Tucked away at the back of a small industrial estate (built, no doubt, on the old station yard)
is one of the few remaining station buildings from the long lamented Somerset and Dorset Railway.
Now being lovingly restored by volunteers, it is open for external viewing every weekend.
There has been a mill on this site since at least the eleventh century, when it was owned by Quarr Abbey on the Isle of Wight.
The current building dates from about 1900 and was driven by a 50" turbine made by a local Ringwood firm, Armfield Engineering.
The building and all the machinery are substantially intact but disused.
Roumour has it that public access is arranged from time to time by the Friends of Throop Mill.
There is a footpath past the mill and over the weir to a pleasant stretch of riverside walking.
External Links and References
External Links
Historic Throop Mill
A history of sorts. Written entirely in the present tense, and dotted with  s which is confusing to say the least.
I remember Throop Mill from when I was a young child. It has a fascination for me and my brothers. My mother forbid us to go near the river or mill without her. Of course we would go there as with all children water attracts. The Mill owner in those days was a Mr. Richard Parsons. I remember seeing the men inside the mill on a hot day, covered in white. On a summer Sunday the mill wouldn't be working so the water coming through from the wheel was a shallow stream where we children could paddle with mother watching.
03/08/2009 Karen
I too remember this mill from my childhood - my father used to take us with him to collect flour used to make the batter for his fish and chip shop in Winton. We often used to walk over the walls looking down at the rushing water and on over hte meadows.
The current building dates from around 1760, although there is some evidence to suggest that there was a mill on the site prior to this date.
It probably had two undershot waterwheels which were replaced around the turn of the last century with an Armfield "British Empire Turbine".
All the machinery was stripped out when milling ceased in 1966, and it became in turn a coal yard, a builders' yard and a furniture showroom.
It was bought by the local District Council in 1983, and is now a craft showroom and workshops.
Comments
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10/07/2005 Strolling Guide
You are quite right, I am but a humble photographer and no expert on timber-framed buildings.
Cleary the 'breathable' nature of lime wash (provided it hasn't been mixed with Casein, Tallow or Raw Linseed Oil to help it stick), could help control dampness, the chief cause of death-watch beetle. But, on the other hand, what lets water out must also let it in, so the difference between lime washing and leaving the timbers untreated must be fairly marginal. Clearly black bitumen would be inappropriate, however.
If overall lime washing is the only practical solution, then so be it. But for me, as a photographer, it is still an aesthetic disaster, and should be avoided if at all possible.
19/06/2008 Mrs. A. Cross
Obviously your writer had made no particular study into the Court House, otherwise he would have found that the beams have been lime-washed in order to try to limit incursions by Deathwatch beetle. It would have been nice to have had the timbers exposed, if they had been new,but because of except for the parlous state of them, most are like sponge, they need the lime to keep the ravages of weather at bay. If they had been painted in bitumenous black, this would have sealed in the damp, and allowed rotting from inside out, at least the lime allows the wood to breathe.
Mrs. A. Cross, Court House, cowgrove, Wimborne.