Buckland Abbey VIII

A few more pictures of the downstairs part of the house.

 

The first view looks upward between the kitchen and sculleries in one direction and the second into a small enclosed courtyard the other way.  And finally the sculleries in a small building opposite the kitchen's back door.

And now for my piece de resistance.  Can you guess what these particular gates are for.  

 Answer, next time. Until then Happy Rambles.

Buckland Abbey VII

Because of my recent foray into the servants' quarters of the English Country House in Castonbury Park: Lady of Shame I found the kitchens and sculleries at Buckland Abbey a real draw.

The fireplace on the left is from the 18th century and has two built in bread ovens.  and was blocked up and replaced by the row of brick charcoal stoves invented by the French and known as stewing stoves which you can see alongside it. More of these later.  The fireplace on the right is from an  earlier era. The brackets above it hold spit rods. You can also see a spit rod inside the hearth along with the handle for turning it.

The windows make this kitchen a nice light airy place to work. Especially on a sunny day, which it was when we were there. And no doubt the windows would be good for letting out the smoke and the smells.

And how about that for a pestle and mortar. That really is a tree trunk.

These are those charcoal stewing ovens I mentioned earlier.

If you look carefully you can see the fire inside this one below the copper pot.

And of course no kitchen is complete without its long plank wood table running down the centre.

Notice the flagstones on the floor.  Those would have been cold underfoot, I would imagine, but easy to keep clean.

Until next time, Happy Rambles

2012 In the Rear View Mirror

It is always a good thing to look back. After all, as someone who loves history, I know the past can help with the future.

I think that 2012 was a bit of a watershed for me. I have begun to feel like a Writer. Oh, yes, I was a writer before, but now I feel as if I have the chops to go with the title. Not that I would ever say I had mastered the craft of writing. It is an ongoing process. A skill that must be practiced, examined and honed. I am always reaching for a better book.

However, I have a little more confidence in my approach to my writing. This year I was a finalist in three important writing contests.  I received some wonderful (and some not so wonderful) reviews from reviewers and from readers. I stretched my wings a little bit. Tried some things that were new for me.

Case in point is the book displayed on the left.  This was a first for me. A story that had to fit in with the stories of seven other authors. Between us we had to create an overarching plot, yet end up with a book that could be read alone or as part of the series.  Particularly interesting was the upstairs downstairs feel of the series.  The conflict and tension that causes.  Needless to say in all the projects I undertook, I tried to make sure I had fun. And hopefully readers had fun right along with me.

During the past twelve months I traveled to some amazing places in England and I will be sharing these with you along with other tidbits about the Regency and what is happening in my author world.

Happy New Year!

Wishing you and your family a Healthy and Happy New Year. Looking forward to lots more chit chat and rambles in 2013.