So farewell then, Knowle Farm…
… it really is time for us to go.
We’ve raised our kids, lived 23 years in these peaceful Devon heartlands, and now find ourselves newbie grandparents. Foreseeing the time we lack sufficient reserves of energy or finance we’ll be selling our medieval farmhouse, courtyard of old buildings and fertile land during this summer. We’ll be parting with far more than a home; we’ll be parting with a lifestyle. It will be emotional, complicated and possibly even fun.
We’d like to bequeath our knowledge of the history, the wildlife & the characters of Knowle to our successors. Hence this blog will be the epilogue (epiblog?) of our time as stewards of this magical place. I dedicate this to Sarah, my beloved partner & wife since 1964, and our children, Jemma & Dan. Without you three none of this would have been possible. Without your patience, forbearance, occasional indulgence, sometime intransigence, loyalty, trust and love, our lives would have taken a very different course. Thanks to you: my gratitude is boundless.
What a wonderful looking place and quite a wrench to leave. A brave decision but it must be the right time. I wish you well wherever you’re going.
Michelle
Many thanks for your good wishes. Actually we ain’t movin’ at present as nobody has come along with sufficient appreciation of our home & lifestyle to warrant us upping sticks. No hardship for us to stay on though: we have a huge pile of seasoned firewood & the impending bumper walnut & pear harvests to look forward to. Some punters have thought it ‘too farmy’ to which I say “You should live in Exeter”. We’ve learned there’s a distinction between a ‘Country House’ (posh, chintz, pretentious, Country Life – no mud, dung, death or disease – an idealised, fantasy world) & us.
I’m up for some more blogging, which will help those long, winter evenings “simply fly by”. Dick B
We would really like to know about your stud and panel screen as we have a wonderful old wooden screen dividing our living room from the dining room at Little Harvey Farm Teignharvey, Devon. We thinkg the farm is about 500 years old, and it is now divided into two cottages, ours being the larger and probably original dwelling part (slopes slightly downhill to next door!)
Our screen has old drawings and paintings on – what we can see are two swans or geese, with curving necks, little thighs and black legs with webbed feet. The screen is very soft and looks as if there has been plenty of woodworm,now treated. It also was only found under plaster etc in the 1980s. DO you have nay information about these screens and can you recommend someone to ask about it?
Thanks!! have a happy move when you do it, we hope to be living here for the rest of our lives, we love it so much!
Jackie
Your screen sounds far more ‘exotic’ than the one at Knowle Farm. Ours is very wormy at the bottom being originally set slightly below ground – earth – level. However the remainder is ancient oak & as hard as iron. To find out more I’d recommend you talk to the historic buildings people at County Hall, assuming they haven’t been disbanded as an economy measure. Peter Beacham is a key name to drop,
Thanks for the good wishes & mine to you too
regards Dick B