Hi, I am doing local history research into a now demolished building that shows up on the 1900s 25" OS map. This gives remarkable detail, but there are a few questions I have. (I also have some historic photos, but they do not show the elements I am asking about.)
On the attached map is a very substantial house on the Crosby coast, called Blundellsands House. It was built in early 1860s. The main 3-storey house is to the south, the low single-storey service block to the north. The main house had a hipped roof, which extended to just north of the second bay window facing west. On the roof is a clear triangular marking. The lower edge of this, on the map, coincides with one hip. The left hand point of the triangle more or less conincides with the roof ridge. Any idea what this denotes? There is no cupola or lantern or anything visible in photos including an indistinct aerial photo. Could it be a flush glass roof window, and why such a strange triangular shape?
And would you concur that the crosshatched area opposite the '9' on the map, is a conservatory? And any thoughts about the large projection on the wall of the service block on the east? And I am guessing the small detached building on the north border, which measures 14.5 x 18.5 feet, is a stable block.
I assume the numbers, eg 379, are OS plot numbers, and the figure below is the area of the plot in acres, expressed decimally. (These only appear on large plots.) Interestingly the separate plot 378 shows no squiggle symbols indicating it belongs to the property. This is because there was a celebrated 1905 legal case, now part of international property law, in which the two owners of this house and the one to the north, were not, at appeal, allowed to annexe new land that had built up above the shoreline, but were allowed to use this land unimpeded, to access the shore.
Crosshatched areas are patios, potentially covered patios; basically hardscape. Triangle is probably denoting the primary structure, however it is typically a elevation benchmark (but is missing a number). Numbers are plot.
North side could be about anything; probably just a shed. Given the location far from the drive, doubtful its coal storage or carriage garage. You may be right about it being a stable.
Thanks Mightyaa. Unlike a similar surviving building, surely by the same architect, also in Blundellsands, the map shows no second direct access to the road is shown for the service block. And the path on the west side, with a dog's leg turn at the end round a wall, could not have been used for horse and carriage. I am left to assume the horse and carriage, and wheeled deliveries, went in at the front gate, and followed the roadside of the house (essentially the 'back' - all the nice views are on the other side) to a gate into the service area, which is thus protected from view. I worked in a house of the same age that would have had a similar arrangement back in the day. A house for a very high status family, as this must have been initially, would have surely had a carriage and horse. Within 25 years, it had become a school, and after that went broke in 1926, it was probably unsaleable, specially with the depression coming. It was demolished and replaced by Costains with a very handsome art deco block of flats, Burbo Mansons.
The dimensions of the shed, as you suggest, must be too small for both a carriage and a horse. The house I worked at also had such a building, and it was much larger. Maybe that projection on the east side of the service block is the entrance to the carriage shed.
Thanks again.
Nov 27, 18 11:27 am ·
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Interpreting historical OS 25 inch map survey of buildings
Hi, I am doing local history research into a now demolished building that shows up on the 1900s 25" OS map. This gives remarkable detail, but there are a few questions I have. (I also have some historic photos, but they do not show the elements I am asking about.)
On the attached map is a very substantial house on the Crosby coast, called Blundellsands House. It was built in early 1860s. The main 3-storey house is to the south, the low single-storey service block to the north. The main house had a hipped roof, which extended to just north of the second bay window facing west. On the roof is a clear triangular marking. The lower edge of this, on the map, coincides with one hip. The left hand point of the triangle more or less conincides with the roof ridge. Any idea what this denotes? There is no cupola or lantern or anything visible in photos including an indistinct aerial photo. Could it be a flush glass roof window, and why such a strange triangular shape?
And would you concur that the crosshatched area opposite the '9' on the map, is a conservatory? And any thoughts about the large projection on the wall of the service block on the east? And I am guessing the small detached building on the north border, which measures 14.5 x 18.5 feet, is a stable block.
I assume the numbers, eg 379, are OS plot numbers, and the figure below is the area of the plot in acres, expressed decimally. (These only appear on large plots.) Interestingly the separate plot 378 shows no squiggle symbols indicating it belongs to the property. This is because there was a celebrated 1905 legal case, now part of international property law, in which the two owners of this house and the one to the north, were not, at appeal, allowed to annexe new land that had built up above the shoreline, but were allowed to use this land unimpeded, to access the shore.
Grateful thanks.
Crosshatched areas are patios, potentially covered patios; basically hardscape. Triangle is probably denoting the primary structure, however it is typically a elevation benchmark (but is missing a number). Numbers are plot.
North side could be about anything; probably just a shed. Given the location far from the drive, doubtful its coal storage or carriage garage. You may be right about it being a stable.
Thanks Mightyaa. Unlike a similar surviving building, surely by the same architect, also in Blundellsands, the map shows no second direct access to the road is shown for the service block. And the path on the west side, with a dog's leg turn at the end round a wall, could not have been used for horse and carriage. I am left to assume the horse and carriage, and wheeled deliveries, went in at the front gate, and followed the roadside of the house (essentially the 'back' - all the nice views are on the other side) to a gate into the service area, which is thus protected from view. I worked in a house of the same age that would have had a similar arrangement back in the day. A house for a very high status family, as this must have been initially, would have surely had a carriage and horse. Within 25 years, it had become a school, and after that went broke in 1926, it was probably unsaleable, specially with the depression coming. It was demolished and replaced by Costains with a very handsome art deco block of flats, Burbo Mansons.
The dimensions of the shed, as you suggest, must be too small for both a carriage and a horse. The house I worked at also had such a building, and it was much larger. Maybe that projection on the east side of the service block is the entrance to the carriage shed.
Thanks again.
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