Friday 29 May 2020

Corenvirons-20, Part 7

The two images below were used on a previous post, but are coming in handy again for a most fortuitous Corenvirons-20 outing. In fact, outing is exactly the wrong word, as I didn't have to leave the sofa for this one, nor even look out of the window. Please allow me to explain. Towards the top right hand corner of the 1882 map can be seen a property called Hestakelda, although there have been various spellings of this name over the years, with the current version being Hestakelday. The name derives from old Norse hesta meaning 'horse' and kelda meaning 'well'.



It is a listed building, see here for the designation in 1999, when the property was a ruin. Here is the description from that page:

Late 18th-early 19th century with later alterations. 2-storey, asymmetrical crowstepped gabled 3-bay house (now derelict) with single bay lean-to projection to W gable and to N wall; detached 2-bay single storey rectangular-plan barn/byre at right angles to rear (N) forming L-plan complex; rectangular-plan store with circular-plan kiln to N gable sited to W of L-plan complex. Harl-pointed roughly coursed rubble; rough long and short quoins to main house.
S (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: window offset to left of centre at ground. Window in bay to outer right; small window at 1st floor above. Boarded door to left at ground. Boarded door in lean-to projection to outer left.
N (REAR) ELEVATION: window offset to right in lean-to projection to right of wall. Blank wall to left.
E (SIDE) ELEVATION: small window (blocked) at ground in bay to right of centre; window at 1st floor in bay to left; gablehead stack above. Wide, square-headed opening to lean-to projection set back to outer right.
W (SIDE) ELEVATION: blank lean-to wall spanning elevation at ground; blank gablehead above.
Single timber framed window remains. Corrugated-iron roof to W end; old Orkney grey slate with Caithness stone easing course to E end; Caithness stone tiles to lean-to projections; replacement cement skews to centre; central corniced rubble ridge stack; gablehead stack to E end.
INTERIOR: ruinous state. Timber framed doorways; timber staircase (collapsed) at W end; floors divided by timber joists and boards; large central fireplace remains with fixed cast-iron pot rack and chins; large stone chimney breast to fireplace at E end; fireplace with timber framed press to left at 1st floor to E end; timber boards to canted ceiling. Finely laid transverse cobbled floor to W end lean-to projection (now hay store).
BARN/BYRE: harl-pointed rubble 2-bay barn/byre; evenly disposed boarded door in each bay to E (principal) elevation; graded Caithness stone tiled roof with small rooflights to E pitch; stone ridge; replacement concrete skews.
STORE AND KILN: harl-pointed rubble rectangular-plan store and kiln built on ground falling to E. Centred boarded door to W elevation; boarded door, offset to right to E elevation; blank gabled S elevation; circular-plan, bellied kiln to W. Purple Welsh slate with Caithness stone tiled easing course; stone ridge (some sections replaced). INTERIOR: well preserved typical store and kiln; exposed timber rafters and tie beams; low square-plan peat store to left of kiln to W end; typical rectangular kiln entrance, set high above floor-level fire space; small fuel feed hole to fire to right of kiln entrance; narrow stone ledge set low in kiln to accommodate timber drying floor (now missing); small circular smoke hole/chimney at top of kiln.
The house recently featured in an episode of 'Scotland's Home of the Year' on BBC Scotland, along with another Orcadian home and a property in Shetland, see between 8.49 and 15.57. 

After the programme was aired, the owners posted a Thank You to well-wishers (unintended pun) on social media, including some photos of what the house looked like when they bought it.



Corenvirons-20 data

Target: Hestakelday
Location: HY495020
Distance from Tense Towers (as the dragon flies): 768m
Hazards: At worst, temporarily losing the tv remote?
Mission accomplished?: Not by me, all credit to Emma and Robbie
Comments: I hope that the iPlayer link works.

4 comments:

Lucy Corrander Now in Halifax! said...

This post is certainly a challenge to the imagination.

Brave people who took it on.

Imperfect and Tense said...

I am in awe of the vision, dedication, creativity and skill of the pair of them. And so sensitively done in maintaining the character of the original building.

Martin said...

Interesting use of Welsh slate on one bit and Orkney slate on another...!

Imperfect and Tense said...

A multi-layered project!