Posted by Caroline on June 15, 1997 at 12:00:02:
In reply to Re: Old Houses, Bulldogs and Movies posted by Linda on June 15, 1997 at 10:25:35
] Most people
] were actually proud of their old houses and were happy to climb up in the loft with me!(One house
] built about 1450 had FIVE staircases built one on top of the other- that was wierd!)
]
] ________
] I have been trying to visualize 5 staircases built one on top of the other, but cannot. Did all the staircases go to the same place? Could you recommend a book that might Have a picture of such an oddity?
] BTW, thank you very much for keeping this fascinating subject out in the open. I learn so from this site.
________
The house in question, Linda, had a staircase built up the central wall.The original staircase had been partly cut away when a large inglenook fireplace and chimney were put in, about 1550, I think. One part of the staicase was left hanging on the wall, and the new one, at a slightly different angle, built over it. Obviously ,as staircases don't last for ever, this had been repaired, and replaced, not by removing the staircase, but by putting a new one on top of the old. This had been done at least three times.
The end result was extremely steep, as you can imagine.
I don't have any photographs of that particular staircase, I am afraid,nor do I know of any book that deals with this specifically. I suspect that it was not particularly rare, and that in many old houses with steep stairs some thing similar may be found.
I can give you a list of books dealing with the way old houses were built, and can direct you to some good refence sources. However, most of these will not be on-line, and may not be that easy to get hold of.
BTW, we are not talking grand houses like Hartfield, Donwell, Netherfield, or even Longbourne. These houses are more like the village houses of Meryton/Highbury.
o.k.?
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