A variety of reasons (or excuses) have been made for not posting more recently. Firstly, the last time I posted about a house as if we’d already signed and moved in, it fell out from under our feet. I didn’t want to jinx the whole process yet again. Secondly, life is just hectic right now – I am still working, I am still a full time student, and yet I’m also moving internationally, helping my children adjust, attempting to work with ALL THE BUREAUCRACIES, and trying to find a school for the boys, which is much more difficult than it sounds.
But I can safely report that we are in our home. OUR HOME. It is lovely and provincial and so very much what we need. Our home is not a modernized, easily-heated McMansion in the suburbs. It is also not a dilapidated, falling-apart, impossible to heat behemoth. It is a modernized 150 year old farmhouse that sits on a lovely piece of property and feels a bit like heaven to me. There is a distinct personality to this property- the mixture of an impoverished gentry feel that was given an injection of new money and modernized in ways that are alternately delightful or perplexing. We’re nowhere near finished moving in, and everything is still a little chaotic for my liking.
See? He’s nothing stunning. Just a farmhouse remodeled, that includes the former barn, and has a walk-through annex (which is a fantastic, humongous laundry room, by the way). What is really fabulous about this house is the outside. This is the view from my front garden. It is also the view from my kitchen windows, which wrap all the way around the room.
This is the backyard shortly after sunrise. That statuary is one of the perplexing bits, but is also a piece of the personality of this house.
This house is not in downtown Liverpool but is really only about 20 minutes outside the city center. We are in walking distance of a family pub that serves good food. We walk to the postbox. When I start running again, I will have plenty of hills to challenge me (save me!). I love it here. I mean, I really love it here.
The following is a photodump of other things we’ve done in the house, or bits of the house we love, or bits we find perplexing.
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Transitions 
That’s not a statue, it’s a winged angel. If you see an old blue police box appear then get really worried…
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His wings are invisible? It’s actually quite apparent that his arm and the ball fell at some point – the ball is supposed to be held high above his head but is not, and his arm is held on by black duct tape now.
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The statue is one of 10, the other nine hold up archways in a restaurant in south west France . The ball is an electric light, the duct tape is there as a temporary measure to conceal a crack. The statue is a cast if a real man. Close inspection will reveal jaggerdy toenails and hardworking hands. This statue was used as an advertisement for the Plat de jour at the Irish Cafe in la Roc south west france. We imported it about 20 years ago.
I know because I own it!
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Thank you for the explanation of his origins, Sylvia. I am charmed by him, and I hope you enjoyed reading my love letter to Roughley’s Brow House.
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I am so pleased you like the statue and the house,it looks wonderful when lit. we spent 29 very happy years at Roughleys Brow House which will be 236 years old this year, the original barn would have been about ten years younger but had to be rebuilt in 1984 due to dilapidation . The bricks are the original ones and I personally hand cleaned every one ready for the rebuild which is the same design as the original building.
It was a pleasure to read your notes on the house and your wonderful descriptions of the views. Very kind of you to take trouble.
The picture of your children on the first day at their new school reminded me of the pictures we took of our own children at the same spot when they started and left school. I hope your boys have enjoyed the space the gardens offer this summer, it is a wonderful environment for children and holds many memories of our children’s early years.
I am hoping you have had a good crop of victoria plums from the tree at the bottom of the garden this year, likewise the eating and baking apples.sometimes we had amazing crops other times not so good.
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Hello, my husband and I currently live in the area, and viewed the house today. We are considering putting in an offer to buy. I have lots of questions the estate agent couldn’t answer. Would you mind telling me some of its history please?
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Hello Annette
Just saw this message by pure chance . Please feel free to ask any questions my email is below .
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Not quite sure my comments were posted it’s time!
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Hi Sylvia,
If we are lucky enough to ever own the house I’d be very interested in what you know of its history.
Providing we can get over a few hurdles, we would be hoping to live in the house and use the barn as a base for offices for our business.
If you don’t mind answering a few questions, my email is (my first name)c99@yahoo.com
Many thanks
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Sorry Silvia it’s .co.uk and not .com
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We do love it, and will be sad to leave it. I had the age of the house wrong, 236 years! Your cleaning of it brick by brick reminds me a bit of the refinishing job I did on my piano – it means more when each bit is touched by your own hands, doesn’t it?
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