The neighborhood pub, near Borden, England
When Robin and I were at the Irish Pub in Santa Monica last month, we started talking about my Dad's wonderful house back in England. My Dad and his wife lived in England for more than 8 years, back in the 80s, and Robin, Eldon and I spent a spring holiday there back in 1984. The Eyehorn Hatch was the name of the house, and it was just a marvellous ediface with a personality all its own.
The Eyehorn Hatch
The Eyehorn Hatch actually belonged to a man who worked for Shell Oil and was sent to Borneo with his family. While they were gone they rented out the home. The Eyehorn Hatch was built in the 1300s. The 'newer' portions of the house were only 400 years old. And it was pink. Which made it even better in my estimation.
The fields across the road
The house is actually on the outskirts of a little village named Borden, near the city of Sittingbourne, in Kent, England. It was practically hidden away behind high hedges and would sneak up on you as you rounded a bend. It was surrounded by fields and orchards. I was able to visit my father and his wife here several times. I loved this house, although it usually had heating problems and was generally cold to live in.
The front gate
The visit we had in the spring of 1984 was a lovely one. The trees had just started budding, and the weather stayed (remarkably) dry while we were there. Coming from Phoenix, Arizona, it seemed cold to me at the time!
Being in the country was charming. There was a little hedgehog who lived near the front garden and would come for a visit every day.
The Entrance Hall
This is the main hall, with the front door at the end. There was a study off to the left. The brasses on the wall to the right were very fashionable at the time and are taken from gravestone rubbings.
The Drawing Room
This is what we Yanks call the living room. The fireplace was large and used alot - every time the furnace conked out! There was a staircase up to the second floor from this room, as well as a main stairway in the hall. You can barely see the leaded windowpanes on the right looking out towards the front of the house. The floors throughout the house were uneven due to age. It made floor lamps tip rather humorously at times. They had to be leveled off with bits of wood or paper in order to stand straight.
The Present-day Den, and former kitchen
This is the family room, off the kitchen in the older section of the house. This was the original kitchen, and both it, and the bedroom above it, smelled like smoked ham for some reason. It was a spicy, fragrant smell, but quite distinctive. I think it was the result of the many hundreds of years of cooking fires. And perhaps they hung the cured hams there too, who knows?
The couple that owned the house had done extensive remodeling to bring it into the 20th century. They said that workmen had discovered seashells and various metal amulets stuffed into the interiors of the walls during the remodel - good luck charms placed there by the builders so many centuries ago.
The Kitchen
Although the owners had made a concerted effort to retain the authentic historic feel of the house, they drew the line at modern day conveniences. The remodeled kitchen was cheerful and functional.
The Formal Dining Room
The dining room was fit for a Baron and we teased Dad about it!
Dinner with friends
Here is Robin, and man whose name is lost to history, I'm afraid, Merlene, Me, and Eldon. I know I have more pictures from this trip, but I couldn't find them. So, Robin, I apologize for including one in which you have your eyes closed! However, I couldn't help remarking to myself how very
young we all looked back then.
The Master Bedroom
This was the master bedroom of the home. The house had seven or eight bedrooms, if I remember correctly, including one that Robin swears was haunted. (Yes, we slept in that one!) The master bedroom had a priest's hole which had been opened up into a walk-in closet (see the right side of the fireplace in the photo above). The house evidently once also had a secret passageway that led to the village somehow. However time had taken its toll on that. Part of the cellars had to be filled in during the remodeling.
Both the priest's hole and the underground passage allude to a romantic, and dangerous, past for this historic home. There was a time when it was dangerous to be Catholic in England and when those who sympathized with the Crown were also in peril. It makes me wonder who the previous owners of this home were and what part they played in the history of this part of the world.
The Eyehorn Hatch from behind
Here is the charming back side of the house. The older portions of the house are on the left. There was a huge garden and many sheds in the back. (I've made the mistake of calling English gardens by the American term 'back yard' and have been sternly reprimanded.)
I've searched for more information concerning the history of the house and the meaning of the name, with little luck. The Eyehorn farm house is off in the distance to the right. The Eyehorn Hatch was probably a chicken farm and hatchery at some point in time.
Sheep Gently Grazing in the fields across from the house
I hope you've enjoyed this bucolic little interlude. I really loved this old house! I'm glad I was able to spend some time there.
