# The Tragic thatched cottages



## The Wombat (Apr 10, 2017)

*There is a tragic storey with this one…

This was once a row of seven picturesque thatched cottages , a desirable place to live, in a rural location, and with a price tag to match…. until a fire destroyed them, leaving the upper floor a burnt out shell. The fire started in a chimney one evening, and quickly spread to the adjacent properties. Up to seven fire crews fought the blaze, but fortunately no one was injured. Possessions were salvaged, but no doubt someone would have lost some personal items.

Some of the properties were in poor condition, stripped of most possessions. The larger end property had a few items left – a couple of sofas, children’s toys, and a garden wendy house.
A sad sight to see…. On a brighter note, the building hasn’t been demolished and maybe listed, and with the value of the real estate, perhaps they may even be restored.

Explored with Frizman, on a glorious spring day.*




































































*Fire can do terrible things*




















The chandalier






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*Now this is interesting - before and after​*












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​thanks for looking


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## HughieD (Apr 10, 2017)

Tragic indeed. They looked like a cosy set of cottages before the fire. Good stuff Mr Wombat.


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## prettyvacant71 (Apr 10, 2017)

Oh thats such a shame...but you have done a grand job photographing the sorry state of the buildings. Love that shot of the glass lamp shade still intact and the before and after shot.


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## mockingbird (Apr 10, 2017)

Love the way you have documented this place Mr Wombat, excellent work


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## jsp77 (Apr 11, 2017)

The before and after shot done it for me, was nice to see how it was before the fire wrecked it. Cheers Wombat


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## The Wombat (Apr 11, 2017)

HughieD said:


> Tragic indeed. They looked like a cosy set of cottages before the fire. Good stuff Mr Wombat.



Cheers Hughie
Great to meet you recently 



prettyvacant71 said:


> Oh thats such a shame...but you have done a grand job photographing the sorry state of the buildings. Love that shot of the glass lamp shade still intact and the before and after shot.



Thanks PV
The lonely chandelier seemed to be the sole survivor of that property's upstairs :O




mockingbird said:


> Love the way you have documented this place Mr Wombat, excellent work



Thanks MB 
A bit of research to get the storey for this place seems to be worth it 




jsp77 said:


> The before and after shot done it for me, was nice to see how it was before the fire wrecked it. Cheers Wombat



Thanks JSP
The difference between the before and after is shocking isn't it?
Fire, followed by water ingress can do terrible things


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## Mikeymutt (Apr 11, 2017)

Great set mate.but it is shame.maybe an insurance job waiting to be done on it


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## smiler (Apr 11, 2017)

Nothing sadder than nosing around a family home after a fire, the bits and pieces left which would normally intrigue me I mostly ignored, and the smell is sickening, 
Well shot Wombat, Thanks


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## frizman (Apr 11, 2017)

Was a lovely afternoon, bit last minute but good all the same. Cottages were beautiful!!I would have loved to have lived in such a quiet pretty location although having seen the devastation the fire left behind i'd go for tiled not thatched roof. I remember as a kid my mum used to tell me some story about 3 little piggys and one of them lived in a house made of straw. The big bad wolf came along he huffed and he puffed and it all went tits up &#55357;&#56838;&#55357;&#56838;


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## frizman (Apr 11, 2017)

In the picture of the kitchen there are signs with numbers 68/69 and black squares . These where all over the cottages. Does anyone know what they mean???


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## Dirus_Strictus (Apr 11, 2017)

Presumably the numbers refer to items/features of interest - hence the 'do not remove' on the bottom, but obviously some have been moved (68 69). Usually the black squares give you a set of datum lines/points, i.e. a cross +, but much more noticeable in photographs. Used similar myself, but somebody else could be doing something different as this is not a laid down rule or system by any means.

Sadly this is a classic example of why one should never buy a thatched cottage situated in a terrace of the same. You never have any control over how your neighbours inspect and maintain their chimneys or what they burn in their fire grates. Once thatch gets alight you have no chance, unless the fire station is in your back yard. My wife has a relative who has restored/worked on many of the timber framed buildings in and around Lavenham and he has seen many instances of where wooden roof beams actually encroach into the chimney flue. All OK if it is just warm smoke going up the stack - much more serious if burning soot and residue from wood fuels sets the encroaching timber beam smouldering!


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## The Wombat (Apr 14, 2017)

frizman said:


> Was a lovely afternoon, bit last minute but good all the same. Cottages were beautiful!!I would have loved to have lived in such a quiet pretty location although having seen the devastation the fire left behind i'd go for tiled not thatched roof. I remember as a kid my mum used to tell me some story about 3 little piggys and one of them lived in a house made of straw. The big bad wolf came along he huffed and he puffed and it all went tits up ����



Pleasure to explore with you as always.
Get your lens replaced!!

Big thanks for coming out at the last minute.
Shame the other place wasn't accessible.


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## The Wombat (Apr 14, 2017)

Many thanks all for your comments 

Dirus_Strictus - comprehensive reply, as always. I have since heard a rumour that this isn't the first fire at this place either :O


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## Potter (Apr 17, 2017)

That really is a shame. They look well worth restoring. That's slightly odd with the expensive headphones sticking out the window. They look like aviation ones.


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## Dirus_Strictus (Apr 17, 2017)

Potter;341487 That's slightly odd with the expensive headphones sticking out the window. They look like aviation ones.[/QUOTE said:


> Domestic market £30ish Sennheisers, introduced around 30 or more years ago as general, external noise reduction over the ear, phones. Their aviation ones had black/very dark grey ear cups if memory serves, but all were well made and the cheaper ones were just as OK in the communications role. It was only in the expensive high end Hi-Fi situation that the worth of the top range phones became apparent


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