Pump Cottages Seighford, demolished 1952 179

This is the first of quite a few of the old houses demolished with pictures of how they looked at the time and in most cases who lived in them. 

This pair of cottages were tied houses to one of the farms in the village, all belonging to the estate, they are/were half timbered and thatched, with very low doors and ceilings. They had two up and two down, you had to walk through the first bedroom to get to the second one.

The big double chimneys half way along the roof were from the inglenook fire places with an open small cast iron range in both houses, the other chimneys were from the rooms at each end of the houses, (see bottom picture) 

This is the village pump situated between the shop and the houses  you see above, the picture is dated around 1890.

Its two cottages with the left end to the road with the one front door above or just to the right of the little girls head. The division of the two houses is between the two bedroom windows and identical cottage off picture to the right 

The same pump, maybe turned round a bit, this was taken in 1948 when the mains water was piped into the village and this was the last time the pump was ever used. All the wells were automatically condemned and filled in (that is except for ours at the farm which is still usable).

The two women on each side were the last occupants of these two old houses, as within a few years 10 new council houses were built in the field behind the hedge in the picture . The car on the road is parked opposite the village shop

This is the back of those same cottages, this gable end is up to the pavement on the roadside, they only had one tap put into each house over the old kitchen sink. Water was heated over the fire in a big Kettle. The toilets were down the garden, the small tile roof at the far end of the houses,( bucket and chuck it type). Electricity was put into all the house in the village around 1940.

The Cast Iron Range 

In years gone by, when cooking was done 

Burnt coal and logs, with pots upon,

The cast iron range, came into use,

House and cottage, all black and spruce.

Blazing fire, reaching up and back,

To chimney hood , all sooty and black,

 Had two ovens, with big black knobs,

To cook for the family, and bake the cobs.

Kettle on a hook, swung over the fire,

Always on the boil, till tea we desire,

Pots on the side, to boil the taters,

Pan on the trivet, fry bacon for the platters

A toasting fork, to toast stale bread,

Hung on a nail, in the homestead,

Nothing was wasted, all was used up,

Meat boiled off bones, made broth to sup.

For years and years, ranges were used,

Then lectric came in, and every one enthused,

Cooked with a switch, on the wall turned on,

Off it went cold, heat from the range be gone.

Owd Fred