Where is "Kirrin Cottage"?

pinkmoon · Post by **pinkmoon** » 10 May 2007, 21:37

Well, all credit to Gary for remembering the name (almost) after all these years!...it would only have been a matter of time before one of you located it after that.
Amazing that this guy Jim champion identified it and named it as Blackwater house simply from the screenshots I sent him before blackwater was mentioned!
I must have passed very close to it on my wanderings on saturday...not sure how I missed it...Im looking forward to going back there and getting some photos.

Yan · Post by **Yan** » 11 May 2007, 08:57

@ pinkmoon:
I just had a look at your link. Yes !!! That´s it !!!
Everything fits. Now it´s clear where all the other buildings belong that can be seen at the beginning of "Five run away together" - to Warren Farm.
Wow - that´s really great.
Congratulations and thank you very much, pinkmoon!

Andya · Post by **Andya** » 11 May 2007, 10:15

Rats.

I got within half a mile of the place on Tuesday during my down-river excursion looking atthe big houses, but turned back. However, I know precisely how I missed it: MSLive has better coverage than Google Earth in this area, but as you'll see if you check this link for Black Water House, for some reason the very highest definition frame isn't available. (You need to click on 'arial', you'll get a 'no picture' marker which will go away if you zoom back a little). I didn't notice the house alongside the farm..

The house is more obvious alongside the farm on the higher definition Google beta. Nice find on his part - both the house and the better Google.

If anyone is going to take piccies and wants to stop off for a drink, may I suggest the Master Builder at Buckler's hard rather than the Montague. The latter has better food but is incredibly plastic and has a local clientelle that knows exactly how posh they are. The Builder is often full of yotties but mostly they're real yotties.

Poxy · Post by **Poxy** » 11 May 2007, 11:14

Fantastic! Now we have found it! Thank you all so much for your help and effort!

Take care,
André

Steve Alpe · Post by **Steve Alpe** » 11 May 2007, 13:01

Great work everyone involved. It is almost like reading one of Enid's books and especially in parts is like something from Sunny Stories.

pinkmoon · Post by **pinkmoon** » 11 May 2007, 14:30

I had a quick cycle down there this morning and took a few pics.
Apologies that they are not great quality, it was a bit windy there and my little camera was wobbling about all over the place.

There were dogs barking and coming at me from all angles and people peeping at me through windows so I couldnt hang about long.

On the way back down Warren lane the security gate which was open on the way up had closed

....I thought I might have some explaining to do but luckily I found a button to press and it opened again...phew!

Poxy · Post by **Poxy** » 11 May 2007, 15:11

Dear Pinkmoon,

fantastic pictures! Thank you so much! For years I was wondering how this building might look today, now I know! It seems that not much has changed after 30 years.

I also would like to visit the Cottage in July but it seems to be dangerous...

Have a nice weekend!
André

Post by **Anita Bensoussane** » 11 May 2007, 16:31

Amazing pictures! It's lovely to see the house as it is today.

[Pinkmoon:] On the way back down Warren lane the security gate which was open on the way up had closed ....I thought I might have some explaining to do

Cycling along country lanes...a gate closing on you...gosh, it sounds like One Gets Into Trouble

. At least you didn't have to make your escape in a car boot!

Anita

Viking Star · Post by **Viking Star** » 11 May 2007, 17:00

Thank you also for the pictures.

I think it was the second picture in which the clouds above looked rather ominous. I was expecting the next one to show driving rain and maybe spoil any pictures of 'Kirrin Cottage'.

Gary Russell · Post by **Gary Russell** » 11 May 2007, 17:44

Oh my... it's hardly changed. Awww I feel all nostalgic now!!!

peppermint peppy · Post by **peppermint peppy** » 11 May 2007, 20:18

...and I had written to Yan that it could be that PinkMoon could run into trouble...could..could...could

But,well done boy!!!-
Nice to see this building after years,just about 30 in my case, in an actual view.
Does anybody know the owner of this giant property?

pinkmoon · Post by **pinkmoon** » 11 May 2007, 21:11

Thanks for the nice words everyone

Dont know who the owner could be ...someone with money thats for sure.

Im sure no-one would have minded too much me being there, I tried to be as discreet as possible. The present owners might not even know the history of the place.

I'd like to get a permit so I can walk right along there to needs ore nature reserve and do some bird watching, it is really lovely down there with some great views.

I`ll take a more leisurely stroll out there sometime and maybe chat to the owners...if the dogs will let me near!

Anyway im glad you all liked the pics....I`ll take some more of Exbury and its environs soon.

Lucky Star · Post by **Lucky Star** » 11 May 2007, 22:18

Great pics pinkmoon. Thanks again. It does sound more like Owl's Dene than Kirrin Cottage these days.

Andya · Post by **Andya** » 12 May 2007, 10:48

I`ll take a more leisurely stroll out there sometime and maybe chat to the owners...if the dogs will let me near!

It was strange checking the 'puter this morning and realising that there was no more treasure hunting to be done. Very nice pictures.

Not all the gates of this type in the area are security gates (although the board implies that this one is, at least to some extent) - some grazing animals have learned to defeat cattle grids by rolling across them (!). My experience of the area is that residents are suspicious of strangers with cameras but usually quite friendly if you explain why you're there. It worked on Tuesday although some people had difficulty comprehending that a short aging beardie with a camera and some computer print-out was in fact looking for a location from a seventies Enid Blyton film.

If they go out for a meal locally this weekend they may well find out what the fuss was about: news, and especially weird news, travels fairly fast. But, I think it's only fair if we let them know what's happening. I may be able to get out there next weekend (I'm playing gigs in Farnham and Brighton this weekend, which is why I went out on Tuesday) but if it's going to be much longer we should probably write (if I can find a name I'll do it).

This is because the suspicion of strangers is justifiable: a few years ago a builder I was working with had a fireplace stolen from his house (quite near this place, actually) while they were away for the weekend - clearly stolen to order. The insurance claim for this and a few ohter bits and bobs was well into six figures. He commented ruefully that the thieves had made less mess getting the fireplace out than his lads had made a few years earlier putting it in.

But, as I say, once they know why people are walking around with cameras I suspect they'll be quite friendly.

(A yottie, by the way, is a local term for yachtsman: used without qualification it means the kind of people who stroll around in all the gear and never actually take the boat out.)

pinkmoon · Post by **pinkmoon** » 12 May 2007, 10:57

A cow rolling across a cattle grid would be a sight to behold!
I might take to hanging about next to cattle grids for a photo opportunity

Where is "Kirrin Cottage"?

Post subject: Re: Where is "Kirrin Cottage"?