Update on Brythonfa

Various folks have been asking, so I think it’s high time I gave you all an update on progress on our Welsh property …

This photo shows the view from the street, with David preparing another load of rubbish for the tip! The light coloured building right of centre is our garage at the top left corner of the garden. The right hand boundary runs from the corner by the blue car to the summerhouse (with the green roof) at the top right of the garden.

We finally took possession on Friday 13 February 2009 – and no, we’re not superstitious! We were made very welcome by our immediate neighbours on both sides, who each made a point of coming and introducing themselves, and as the first week progressed word obviously got round and more folks came by to see who these new folks were! Everyone has been very friendly and helpful.

We have just returned from our second visit, when we were able to spend three weeks working on the property over the Easter holidays, and have made really good progress. In the first week, we had a site meeting with our surveyor who talked us through the main points of his report so that we can prioritise the work. We finally cleared the rubbish left by the previous owner, lifted and removed damp mouldy carpets and stripped mildewed wallpaper. Tiles and slates have been salvaged and timber has been sorted and stacked for future use either in restoration work or as fuel. We’ve got to know the men at the local tip and we’ve had some great bonfires too!

Once the old rubbish was cleared, we started to create our own by tearing down the ceilings in the bedrooms and removing the very old, filthy insulation, along with broken slates from the original roof and one very desiccated rat! The bedroom ceilings were plasterboard, but over the stairs the original lath and plaster had been left. That’s all gone now. That opened up the roof space to allow David and Ian to inspect the roof timbers and decide what remedial work will be required to strengthen them. Later this year, they will do the roof work together, and then new ceiling rafters and ceilings will go in.

Do you recognise these people??!

We are intending to install wood burning stoves, so the old fire surrounds and mantels have to come out. We tackled the one in the main living room first, hoping it might reveal an older, larger fire place, and indeed it did! We uncovered a beautiful chimney going up through the thickness of the stone walls. The old fire surround was reinforced concrete and very heavy. David had to break it into smaller pieces with lump hammer, bolster and hacksaw before he was able to carry it out of the house!

We also had the drains boys in to sort out a blockage in the main sewer system under the garden. They came with all the camera gear but could not actually pinpoint the problem. So we arranged for them to come back and dig up the area to locate and solve the problem. It turned out to be a bigger task than anticipated, but four of them completed the work in a day, returning the garden to its previous state so you could hardly see where they’d been working. Money well spent, we think. We now have two working loos (inside and out) and a usable bathroom.
In the garden, I have been persevering in my battle with the brambles. My previous efforts in February have revealed swathes of bluebells and primroses, and a number of azaleas. I had to stop my efforts to uncover the smaller of the two greenhouses when it became apparent that blackbirds were nesting inside! We have installed an outdoor shelter and run for the cats so that they can come with us on future visits and begin to get used to the sights, sounds and smells of the neighbourhood. At night they have spacious secure accommodation in the “summer house”.

The dogs love the new place. We’ve never before had a garden big enough to lose them in, and they love going off exploring. But their favourite occupation is sitting or lying on the paved area in front of the house, watching all the comings and goings along the street, and in Quinn’s case, making his presence known! There are lots of dogs in the vicinity and everyone is very tolerant. I have to say Quinn is by no means the most vociferous!

Quinn keeping watch at the front gate!

Of course, the family have been very encouraging and supportive. Mum was very tolerant of our long stay, cooking and eating in her kitchen, bathing and sleeping upstairs. But she did get to share our meals, which provided her with variety! We also took her out several times. Ian and Nina have helped not only with advice and information about methods and suppliers, but also with hands-on help on a number of occasions, and we have shared shopping trips, both the boys and the girls. We have also had a number of very good meals together. All of which is a very pleasant prospect for the future.

As a thank you, we invited them all to lunch on Easter Sunday, setting up a trestle table in our summer house. I cooked lunch at Mum’s house and then carried it up in the car. The gravy slopped a little bit as I came up the steep incline of Gnoll Road but otherwise the event went smoothly and was a very happy occasion. Sadly, I was so busy playing hostess I forgot to take any photos to record this momentous occasion!

Being family historians, we can’t resist a bit of research about previous owners of the house. We already knew that the last but one owner was a lady called Saretta Griffiths. From talking to neighbours who knew her, and one in particular who is still in touch with her niece, we have learned that the house was built for Mrs Griffiths’ grandparents when they married in 1851 and had been in the same family until Mrs Griffiths’ death in 2003. We’ve also learned that the house has a name – Brythonfa “the Welshman’s place”.

We’re planning our next visit for the end of May, which will be half term week. After that, I have only 3 weeks to go until my term ends and then we’re off down to Godre'r Graig for the summer. We can’t offer accommodation yet, but day visitors will be warmly welcomed.