The outdoor drop toilet, flag floors, black leaded range, single cold tap and rag rugs all remind me of my childhood home. We were one of the exceptions on our street because we actually had some electricity in the house. The terraced homes on the other side of the street still had gas mantles and the street lights were gas, lit by the lamplighter in the evening and extinguished by the knocker upper in the morning. Then you would hear the clatter of clogs on the cobbles as people rushed to begin their shift at the mill. My mother worked on the clog sellers stall in the local market hall.
I watched a programme once about life on a farm. It was set around late Victorian times and they did exactly that. There was a hole in wall of the privy and the waste...to be polite 😄...went straight out to the pigs next door.
My Mum is 95 in March, born 1930. The changes through her life have been many. She is up with it though as she uses cellphone, does emails, buys online lol etc. So encouraged by her grit.
Your mum sounds amazing! My mum died 6 years ago and for about 6 years I had been trying to get her to have Internet and shop online. She would not do it and I'm sure she would have enjoyed it because she was always out shopping when she was able. You can lead a horse to water but... Best wishes to your lovely mum 😊
She's brilliant!!! I cannot stand it when I see people taking the mick online of older people with technology! Imagine going from a gramaphone, to a record player, to tapes, cds and then everything is on a little device - I admire them greatly and your Mom sounds amazing: send my love x
Another wonderful video seeing 4 different dwellings from the same era was so interesting although they all had the same lack of mod cons ! My Mum who had been born in 1909 and was 90 when she died embraced all the new things which came through her life ,the telephone and central heating being her favourites, I have also enjoyed reading all the comments from your subscribers , you have created a lovely community Lucy ❤😊
I know a lady, now in her eighties, who, up until 10 years ago had to use a “thunder box” toilet in an out house behind her small cottage. She finally had an extension built with a bathroom. Can you believe it?! I couldn’t, until I had to use it!
Gosh! Did she agree to use the new facilities? I've read stories of people being given brand new bathrooms but still refusing to use them as they liked the old ways .. thanks for sharing this.. she is made of stern stuff!
My lovely grandma used a tin bath and had an outside toilet and when I HAD to use it my eyes were everywhere looking for spiders because they were huge. She had no central heating and her hot water came from a very small boiler type thing you had to light with a match. As she got older I took her to see a flat in sheltered housing well she loved it and it had everything to keep her warm and cosy and lots of hot water by just turning on the tap 😂.
The squatters cottage, possibly you would always be aware that you could be kicked out, I could just about imagine the family life, forever trying to make a living. Since working on my Family tree I am so aware of how they lived and possibly they would have had a similar dwelling as most were agriculture workers, also so very grateful that 2, 3 and 4 generations back they came out to New Zealand, some paid for by the poor union. That house was the one that caught my attention this week. Thanks Lucy, you have possibly given me more info on how my ancestors lived. Take care =-)
This is brilliant - I am so pleased it has given you a "view" To how it might have been for them. I always think how tough that trip out to NZ must have been - long and rough too. - you are made from tough stock as we would say here x
Thank you! It was "bracing" but I was so involved in being at Blists Hill I barely noticed after a while - plus the wonderful fires kept me warm sporadically. Thanks for your lovely compliment and it absolutely my pleasure!
Thank you Lucy. You have no idea how important your videos are to me. When I see a new one come up I know I will find comfort & a small escape from where I am. Just that small amount of time watching makes my heart warm. I will get out one day, I know I will, but for now I’ll take a little comfort from you. Thank you love ❤️
Patricia that's so lovely, please don't even be alone, my email inbox is always open for a chat, that is so kind of you to say and it really does mean a lot x
I live in the United States and I absolutely love going along on your adventures. I don’t think I’ll every save up enough to travel abroad. This way I just tag along with you, and I usually learn something while being entertained. So thanks a bunch! ❤
You are incredibly welcome on ALL my trips! I am not sure I will get abroad for a while so I am enjoying showing you this lovely country I am lucky to call home x
Hi Lucy! Thank you for another great video! I loved all the cottages, but for some reason the Victorian workers Terraced house looked so cozy and comfortable. I don’t think I would have survived in those times though. So cold, and the outside toilet! Sheesh! I just love coming along with you for a good snoop! Canada is such a young country, some of those cottages are just about the same age! Thanks again Lucy. Sending hugs, Sherry❤❤❤
I don't think I would have survived either but you know I would blummin love to give it a go - I love watching those programmes where they do practical social history.
I loved the first cottage. My great grandparents lived in and I remember using their toilet just like the first cottage, with squares of news paper for toilet roll hung up with string. They had a well they shared for their water and heating and cooking was done on the range. I'm 58 and they lived in the country two up , two down and the stairs went up behind the range. A little door to the left of it. Xx
@throughlucyslens and always stone cold no matter what time of year. They still cooked on the range until the late 70s and collected water from the well and had that wooden hole with metal bucket underneath till the late 70s, then the council moved the to a bungalow. The room where they cooked and lived was tiny and was taken up with a big round table with a centre leg that had 3 leg coming out and on the top of each one just before it reached the floor each leg had a giant lions claw on. And rag rugs in front of hearth. Xx
Looking at and living in a pre central heated house is a lot different. Anyone who grew up in a home with only the living room and kitchen heated during the hours the family were awake will be able to explain how cold it was getting up in the morning before the fire was lit. Brrrrrrr.
We were so cold in our rented cottage in the 70s that the water in the toilet froze, and we had to sleep with coats piled on the bed. It was hard but character building? Thing is we still haven't installed central heating, we must be tough old age pensioners.😅
In the 70s my parents only had a coal fire. There was 8 of us living in the home and I can remember the ice formed not only on the outside of our bedroom window but also on the inside, single glazing then. We also had coats on top to keep warm. I now live in a Victorian cottage and it's 160 years old but is somewhat modern compared to the ones in the video. I love old houses they ooze character.
@@patkilmurray4702 We had a paraffin hurricane lamp in our toilet to stop it freezing. It was in side the house but was accessed by an outside door. Daft idea but when the house was built it was considered unhealthy to have the toilet opening out into the house it self.
I just finished Ruth Goodman's book about the Victorian era, so this video was perfect timing! It's fascinating to be able to see so many things that I just read about.
I love Ruth Goodman so much - she is such an inspiration to me, I was listening to her on Womans Hour a few weeks ago and she has achieved so much through just LOVING the subject. Really do look up to her - and will check out that book.
@@throughlucyslens She is fantastic! I love how she just throws herself into history. Her passion is contagious. The book was called How to Be A Victorian, and I can't recommend it enough!
Your videos are wonderful for history. Also I’ve always wanted to visit England,well Great Britain. And you show me so many interesting places. If I ever am lucky enough to visit I’ll pay you to be a tour guide 😊❤
Theses houses were better built than most houses today. All that you show is so familiar. My generation, those born in @ 1940’s is a transitional one, that bridges the way of life in the Victoria to nowadays. We are quite resilient and have inherited skills from our grandparents for survival in a world without modern conveniences and technology, not to mention the lack of abundance in almost everything. Also we are privileged to have lived through such interesting changes.
I would like to live in a house like that any day these new builds are so tiny only just put in a bed and a bed side table if you are lucky enough i always think where do they put all there stuff??
How lovely of you to say hello to Henry. Loved all the houses. My favourite was the toll house. There are couple near here and I’ve always fancied living in one. I love the way you bring the places to life by saying who lived there. Another really lovely one. Thanks 😊
I was so touched he tuned in - what a privilege to be able to speak to the next generation about something I love. Nice to hear from you as always Gail, I do appreciate your lovely feedback.
It's a terrible shame. I have a list of living museums world wide and there are "some" in the USA - not as many as there should be though with that amazing history.
I have to confess, I've had to watch this one twice lol so much to take in HUGE thank you for the mention, I truly hope more viewers subscribe, to help promote your channel further and educate more people and share the joy of your videos The first cottage and comments, remind me of Saltaire, West Yorkshire, a town built by 19th century industrialist Sir Titus Salt, not only controlled his workers in the workplace, but their homes, entertainment, education and religion. I hope that fire warmed you through, bless ya, definitely suffering for your art. My late father, born 1930, remembers his ore, when as a youngster possibly just into teens visiting London relatives and discover electric light switch, they were from Norfolk and still on oil lamps. I'd love more information on the squatters cottage, how that system works. I think of squatters as illegally tenanted. You'd think with the lack of privacy, families wouldn't expand at the rate they did Toll houses and lodge gates always struck me by their architectural design and detailing, guess gate houses were the "first impression" for guests. Your comment on the heart of the home, just struck me, add an H and you get hearth !! Beauty of subscribing also gets you notified of new uploads, so viewers don't miss an episode, well done Lucy, know that push took some doing. The stories contained in each property, and the way you bring them to life is super amazing. All your updates are chilled, but oh so entertaining Looking forward to your next update Take great care Lucy Geoff
Thanks so much Geoff, an interesting social history snippet for you .. I think adults doing adult things in a busy home was just a fact of life, I think it just went on behind a sheet up and was just kind of accepted - and of course the lack of contraception gave the women little choice. Still today more children are born in the late spring / early summer because of the dark nights when there is little more to do too. Thanks for pushing me to ask - I think it's working to be honest, I will keep it up. I have found out a few more squatters cottages and I am really eager to see them - it's a system I have only just found out about too. I knew about common land but not squatters rights to live on land for a fine - every day is a school day :)
@throughlucyslens very much so, and you are an excellent, engaging teacher I sure hope more subscribe, so youtube push your excellent channel to more audience Keep up the great work Bless ya again for getting so chilly to bring us those cottages Take care Geoff
I do like the idea of the squatter's cottage, hand made by the dwellers, with a garden and some livestock around it, and owned by them outright if they could just stick it out, but strictly as a building/house I like the Duke of Sutherland Cottage. What I liked best was that I got to go along with Lucy to view them, from the warmth of my own home!
That's so kind of you, thanks for coming with me - it's an absolute pleasure to take you along. It's hard to choose which one you like the best isn't it? I was the same!
As a child I remember going back to Burnley for Christmas from the West Country to be with Grandparents and other family. I remember the outdoor toilets that were always white washed but the walls were ringing wet... You only went out of necessity. My Great Aunt still had an old Victorian range in the 1970's though she didn't use it to cook. My great Grandad was a landowner but sold the land to be developers. He built 3 houses in the same area for family members. The houses had small brick yards, very steep steps to the bedroom and baker light light switches. Grandma & Grandad E were posh they because they had an upstairs bathroom (thanks to great Grandad). So in a way Dad was punching above his weight when he started courting our mother. However, dad was ambitious and not only went to Grammar school but also University where he succeeded in gaining a BA and MA and elevating his family from his humble working class background.
Thanks for sharing this, really appreciate it. I love hearing stories like this because it's important to remember there were people who changed their lives completely through hard work and determination - still is - and I love to hear it :)
Thank you, I am never happier than when I have my nose in a census .. some of these were tough to find out as the addresses were complicated but I was so happy to find them!
Honestly I am still quite in disbelief! I thought it would just be me, the dog and possibly a few relatives I could convince to watch! .. so thank YOU!
That's so very kind - I am terrible at asking but I am genuinely appreciative of anyone who enjoys coming with me be that 1 person or 100 - absolutely blows my mind!
I couldn't make my mind up Lucy, each one had something special about it! So I settled for the Scarecrow. He was there at the beginning and caught my eye! Thank you, I loved all of them.
My grandparents house was built in 1908, and had a tiny add on kitchen with a small boiler on the wall for hot water, a front room which was never used, as it was for "when the priest called", and the only heating was a 3 bar electric fire, angled towards my nana's legs.....plus, the piece de resistance... an outside toilet, which was still the only toilet back in the 80's. No bathroom, strip washes in the kitchen, and a tin bath to be used in front of the fire. There was just so much furniture and hundreds of knick knacks. My grandmother was one of 13 (living) children and lived in a 2 up 2 down thatched cottage as a child 💖
Wow .. 13! Amazing! It always amazes me so many people lived in a tiny house and yet that front room was still reserved for special visitors when they probably could have really done with that extra space.
My Grandma was born in Sheffield, Yorkshire in 1892, and I can remember as a very young child how intrigued I was when she used to tell me about her life as a young girl. She had a coal fire burning and I remember how she had to clean the soot from the flues every morning. I must have been about eight years old. Thankyou Lucy, I love your videos.
Thanks for sharing that, I just love the smell of a coal fire and I can imagine you sat there with your Grandma listening about her life - I wish I had asked my Grandparents more!
I was born in 1951 in Kettering, Northamptonshire. Until I was 10 or 11 yrs old we lived in a bay-fronted 3 bedroomed house with NO BATHROOM OR TOILET indoors and there was a cast iron pump for well water in the kitchen, although it did have mains cold water. We used to bath in a tin tub in front of the fire. It was awful having to go outside to the loo which had a high tank and pull chain to flush. I remember my aunt lived in Lancashire and had one of those hole toilets with a wooden seat, which frightened me LOL
YES! We went to a holiday cottage once with a toilet like that and I was terrified I was going to fall down it and end up in the sludge down there .. we recently stayed in a shepherds hut with a compost toilet and that freaked me out too - I certainly like my creature comforts in that way!
Oh the joy! The delightful Squatters cottage, strange how I remembered it to be round but wonderful to see it again, well some of it at least, darn squirrel 😂. I loved all the houses and it's so nice to see the contents displayed, rag rugs, patchwork and crochet throws, stone jars and lace curtains fill me with happiness. I've been collecting Victoriana my entire life so you can imagine just how much I loved this. Thanks Lucy.❤
That's so wonderful to hear - I love it too! And this is interesting I thought it was round in my head too so when I went to edit I was like "oh it's oblong" maybe it has some kind of optical illusion in the mind - it's THAT special! :)
Thanks for a look round this great place! My grandparents lived in similar places especially my nan who didn’t have indoor plumbing until she moved to a council bungalow well into the seventies.Lots of furniture and bits from my grans house have made it into my own home, nothing we make now will last that long. They always said they never felt hard done by as no one else they knew had much more! My gran, born in 1895,saw so much more change than we will ever see- from horse and cart to the moon landing and Concorde! I hope you teach history as you have such a knack of making it interesting, and bringing it alive, a real inspiration to youngsters! Thanks again for showing us such an interesting place, my favourite is also the squatters cottage! Xx
Thank you, I don't teach history actually .. very long story short I "used" to but I didn't enjoy being in the secondary school system, too much stress and politics and it made me fall out of love with my subject. I now teach adult skills working with them to build their confidence and enter new careers and it's really fulfilling as I love people and motivating but history can be my passion again where I can explore on my own terms x
It struck me how you described the lives of people during this period as "simple." I think their lives were anything but simple. Keeping the house warm and lit, retrieving water, using the loo, buying groceries, paying bills - all of that would have been time consuming and required a bit of knowledge to navigate. I would actually argue that our lives are, in some ways, more simple than Victorian life. Advances in communication, electricity, plumbing, cleaning - all of that makes small tasks super simple and frees us up for other things. Not being critical at all Lucy! Love your videos so much!! ❤❤
No that's really interesting and I appreciate your perspective. For me I feel they are simple because I feel a great load from modern life in regards communication - constantly being available .. that puts a lot of pressure on me so I think the simplicity comes from that rather than the manual load which lets face it I would barely deal with as I struggle to do my washing today with a big machine, great perspective and something for me to think about when I express my views (maybe a bit more clarifcation) Thank Robin - you couldn't offend me! Love your comments x
@throughlucyslens I do agree that our modern technology has both simplified and complicated our lives. There have been studies that show that modern conveniences actually increase our workload - now that vacuuming a rug is a snap, you do it more, for example. But it does bother me a bit when people talk about the past as "simpler times." I think, like you said, we focus on the bits that seem more quaint or or less bothersome than what we're used to rather than looking at the lives of historical people in their entirety. While I too get overwhelmed with modern life, I wouldn't trade it for a life in historic times. Manual labor was hard and sometimes fatal; medical care was primitive compared to today; travel was exhausting, expensive, and time consuming.
Absolutely, I honestly am not sure I would still be here due to some of the illnesses I've had - antibiotics literally saved my life on more than one occasion!
Been to Blisst Hill - it is amazing and plan to go again as it's so extensive anddidn't get to see everything. Lovely to see the beautiful fires burning
I was SO SO glad to see those fires! The one in the Toll house in particular was music to my ears I stood warming myself up for ages - nothing like it. I need to go back too, maybe when the weather is a bit brighter! I like to see places in different lights / seasons. They always feel so different!
Hello! I stumbled across your video because I love all things history. I am from the United States and I love the UK and its history. This was so fascinating! Thank you!
LOVE that iron bed in the tollhouse. In college, I slept in one very like it that a good friend was kind enough to loan me. It came complete with a feather bed that was covered with old-fashioned blue-and-white ticking. I had to return it to him when I graduated. I really loved that bed.
I am sat here on my lunch break going through my comments and honestly I have just sunk into that bed in my imagination - I think I am really tired! haha
Dear Lucy, The effort and history you put in all your videos keep me so intrigued and wanting more. You are amazing….. and your narration is a plus. Thank you. Hugs
All the houses were wonderful in their own right, but my favourite was definitely the Toll House, I could quite happily live there, it looked so cosy 😀 Thank you for taking us along Lucy 😊 x
Super visit Lucy! Sorry you had technical problems and t was so cold the day you visited …but you are right ,it did add atmosphere and a greater understanding of what people did to keep warm….not just tapping the Smart Control App on an IPhone to set the heating on the way home to have a warm house then eh? Watching the video …I wondered what saving of current houses might happen? The home now super smart controls , for everything in the house ! Just talking to an Alexa or similar to organise one’s life whilst sitting on a sofa ! And some eating a Pizza ordered and delivered hot to the front door ( not me actually …deliveries to my village? No! ) Yes ,life is very different , better? Maybe? Community though? Blists Hill on my list now to revisit after some years. Thanks Lucy for the interesting visit .
We have Alexa and Google Home and everything in my home as my husband is a big fan - I drive him mad because I actually prefer to just switch a switch .. I find that easier .. and technology likes the trick me! I had to work in the dark last night as for the life of me I couldn't get the app to work. I think I prefer simple things! ... But I am a fan of hot pizza to the door! haha
Loved seeing these houses and hearing all the history. All ads to the atmosphere on a cold winters day. If I moaned about the cold when staying in my nans maisonette she used to say "go stand outside for 5 minutes and come back in and you will soon see its warmer inside". Even though her house had one fire in the front room and just an oil heater in her bathroom.
Lovelly visit! I have been a subscriber since i first saw your videos! Those stone floors look cold. Stone floors are very uncommon in the USA. We almost always have wood floors.❤❤
Hey Laura, lovely to hear from you, that's really interesting about the wooden floors, I think it might be because had so much access to tiles as a natural resource here where I believe you have a lot of wooden homes too - we don;t have many here.
Thank you, I am glad you notice, sometimes I am standing in a room for so wrong I do wonder if they think "what is she doing in there" but I find it really frustrating when things are flashed before my eyes so I try and stop that happening in my videos - thanks for your feedback :)
Hi Lucy! My husband and I have just discovered your videos. We love them!! Love hearing how others lived from different time periods and different backgrounds! We are from the US and we learn so much about your country. Just wonderful!!
Thanks so much for coming with me - it is so appreciated, it's so nice because I am usually on my own knowing how many people are with me really in spirit
Fascinating video, Lucy! Loved the tour of those cottages. Life was very hard back then and makes you grateful for what we have today! I’m so glad that museums like Blists Hill exist since they bring the past to life and serve as a reminder of the harsh conditions people had to endure.
Thank YOU. I just love your videos, you do them so well. I too ponder over how people used to live and find it so interesting and humbling. Thanks for the pleasure you give.
Honestly, you don't know how happy it makes me to have found such a wonderful community of people who love the same things as me - I spent a lot of my time with my head in the past and I enjoy doing this so much!
The first home reminded me a lot of my nana’s house in Cumberland, whenever we when to see her she would make tomato soup with a swirl of cream in it, funny the little snippets we pick up and carry with up throughout the journey of life, would love to explore this more xx
Hi Lucy, I love your channel! Your empathy for working people really comes through. You are so genuine. If I lived in the British Isles I could see us meeting up for coffee and chatting about social histroy all afternoon. I'm so glad I found you. Keep it coming!
Thank you! and I would be SO happy to do that - I love nothing more than meeting for coffee (and a nice piece of cake) and chatting about what I love with other passionate people - for now we can always chat in the comments, I love to hear from you.
Fascinating as always. Thank you. My ancestors hail from England, Ireland, Denmark, & Germany. It’s always sobering to realize the much harsher conditions of their lives. I love the simple charms of the past, but I am wholly attached to the indoor plumbing and heating of the present. 😂
Thanks Lucy for another great visit. I like the Toll-keepers Cottage as well. We actually have a volunteer run Toll-Keepers Cottage museum here in Toronto. It’s a lucky and unlikely survivor of the Victorian era in a city that doesn’t value its history. I live in what was originally a two up, two down terrace house from the 1870s. We have the list of tenants for the first 50 years or so. As many as 15 people lived in what is now considered a “condo alternative” for a professional couple.
Oh my goodness!! How I would love to visit, I adore toll houses - I am going to look this place up now, may not ever get there in real life but I would love to see it! I agree entirely - privacy must have been such a commodity, we get in each others way with just 2 of us so goodness knows what it would have been like with 10 people in here .. busy I suspect!!
Keep the stink in sync 😂 brilliant 😅. I loved them all, although for the investment of it the squatters cottage is appealing. Thank you for another excellent peek into history 😊
Thanks for coming with me - and I think I love the squatters cottage most too - just because it's so unusual - and really has a lovely atmosphere, I hope next time I go it's open again .. and the squirrel has been evicted to a better tree!
Hi Lucy, i am just catching up on your visit to Blists Hill. So glad you showed the toll house, it was my favourite when i was a volunteer there a few years ago. I wish someone had been there to chat to you about it. That is what i liked to do, also used to crochet things for the house and cook simple things in the range oven, such as bread and butter pudding or apple crumble. Smelt so nice and the house was so cosy and i think visitors really liked that.🙂💗
It was wonderful, there was a lady in there but she was busy banking up the fires and I didn't want to disturb her, it was so serene like she belonged there, there were some chestnuts ready to go over the fire and I would have loved to have eaten one! haha.
Pausing here before I have finished watching: Lucy, I don't know why anybody would need to be prompted to subscribe to your videos. Anyone with any sense would rush to subscibe after watching even one or two, which is what I did a few months ago. Every single video you post is a delight, and I will be watching this one immediately after its end so I can have a better look at all the details.
So very interesting. I loved them all. I can't imagine living in them until the 1970s. Living in America, we had a 3 bedroom 2 bath home in the 1970s. I can't imagine living that primitive then. 😢 I have subscribed! I love looking at old historic homes. ❤
Another fantastic tour. Thank you so much Lucy for taking us along with on such a cold day. I just loved all the cottages. The bit made me laugh were the toilet remains were used for fertilizer. Talk about eating your own s**t Sorry but I just couldn't resist that 🤣🤣
I know right .. I mean I know deep down that nature does it's thing and it's absolutely okay but I don't think I could look at my carrots in the same way if I knew I was doing that .. hahaha
Loved them all. Numbers 1 and 4 were most like mine as mine was built in 1839 for the local silver lead mine captain and his family. Love history... xx
Lucy that was great! Brrrrrr! Brrrrrr! 🥶🥶 It looked cold indeed! I was thinking also during the hot and humid Summer months how miserable it must have been to be down in the mines, in a factory then go home to a sorta stinky home because of the close proximity to the Privy. Take care of yourself, keep having fun filming your beautiful country! ox 💖Linda C. 🇺🇸
Thanks Linda - I could be wrong but I think it was always cool down the mines because of the lack of sun light but I guess bodies warmed it up - I'll have to look into that you have made me think!
We have a 1926 bungalow which needed a lot of tlc when we bought it 18 months ago in North Wales. We've keep the quarry tile floor in the kitchen, but boy it is cold. We love them though...great content Lucy love your attention to detail. Tracy 😊
Thanks Tracy - we love our quarry tile floor too - funny fact though the dog wont "sit" on them because I think it makes him bottom too cold - he was shuffle over to the rug to sit for a treat!
What a great video. I'm adding Blists Hill to my bucket list. We live in a Victorian terraced house, but with wooden floors as our area has no natural stone deposits. Even now we keep one room warm, especially during the winter evenings.
We are the same in our house ,we keep the back room warm which traditionally would have been the gathering space and everywhere else is blinking freezing! I love getting into a cold bed and warming up though, sleep so much better when it's chilly x
The rugs are called "Proggy Mats" up here. We used to see them every where. I think they were made long after they were actually needed, a bit like quilts.😀 Great videos.
There are times I'd love to go back and live their lives with them, but reality pulls me back to the comfort of modern living, we are pretty spoilt nowadays compared to them. Thank you Lucy for another wonderful video. ❤
I would love to do some experimental history and find out for myself ,, maybe one day .. I think it would be super cold and I would probably do a lot of moaning - or at least trying NOT to moan, I very much admire those who came before me!
Thank you for sharing these lovely old places. Each house has its own charm, but I did like the toll house. I've always had an interest in social history, too. It's fascinating to see how people used to live. Their lives seem unbearably hard to us, but I guess they knew nothing else.
Absolutely. I do wonder myself, we didn't have any central heating until I was about 10 and I don't remember feeling hard done by or that cold really (apart from getting ready for school I remember that was freezing) x
@@throughlucyslens I know what you mean. Growing up here in Perth, we had no air-conditioning back then and we'd have heat waves with days of 40 degrees C and up. It was hard to sleep at night. We are so lucky now aren't we?
@@throughlucyslens you can come for a visit! If you google the Old Toll House in Coalport it's on the map as such! I found it on AirBnB. It's more updated, of course, but from the outside still retains its original charm 😍
Only part way through but I have to say the Christmas tree would not have been colour coordinated and wouldn't have had half as many "baubles" on it, that and the LCD lights annoyed me a little. I do love your videos though Lucy and as a keen amateur social historian I find them very informative.
Yep, it annoyed me too as I said in the videos (didn't mention the baubles though as I know sometimes people who work in the museums watch my videos and they are, as you can imagine protective of their work). It's rare I go somewhere that's entirely authentic - the squatters cottage here was though which I appreciated a lot.
@@throughlucyslens Yes the squatters cottage was fascinating, because I never even knew they existed, or if I did I forgot lol! Have you thought about coming to Howarth in West Yorkshire? I live in South Yorkshire, the Bronte museum and the village itself is beautiful. ♥
Goodness, but you were brave, heading out in such freezing weather. I think I am torn between the love of the toll house and the squatter's cottage too. I think what I find fascinating about toll houses is that they tend to look like miniature wealthy homes on the outside, with their columned doorways etc. but are actually quite modest inside. I would never want to go back to the days (that I grew up in) with no central heating in winter.
Yes, they look like little Georgian pagodas outside don't they with all their classical columns. Very cosy! I often wonder if they built in that way to show their "importance" as in where the money would be collected for the land you are walking on. I don't fancy those early mornings with ice inside the windows again either - as lovely as those times were in lots of ways.
We lived in a council house after the prefab. It also had a good sized rear garden that my Dad tended for our veggies. Broad beans, runner beans, peas, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, sweet corn, onions and potatoes. I know because I was always around when he harvested the vegetables. Pinching the peas was my favourite part! I forgot the cabbages and the carrots! If you go onto Google Earth and find 25 Sandy Lane, Hartley Wintney, Hants you will see it!
Oh yes .. you cannot BEAT a fresh pea from the pod, I used to steal those too, we never had them cooked as between me and my Dad they were all gone well before they hit the pot! I will go and have a look at that now - still standing proud :)
Thank you! you know it's funny until I started the channel I didn't like my voice because of my accent but your lovely comments have really given me confidence - so thank you!
Absolutely fantastic I love coming with you Lucy. We all love a Victorian/Edwardian house. I live in a double fronted Edwardian house in London we are trying to bring it back to it's period without the coldness of course we have central heating whereas it would have been coal fires all over the house. I love the high ceilings and the space of the rooms in other words the nostalgia with modern day living.
Yes the high ceilings in Victorian homes are a big selling point to me - even though square foot wise the rooms are small the ceilings give a sense of height .. I love them! Love to hear you are bringing yours back too - we are trying to do the same.
Nice video again Lucy loved it and as for the squirrel I reckon he thought to himself if I can hang around here for 60 years I'll have myself a new home it sounds nuts but it's a very good idea nice one squirrel. 😂😂👍
It did make me laugh about the squirrel, I think he had made himself at home over the Christmas closure and probably helped himself to any left over food .. like you .. don't blame him! Squirrels are so determined he was probably back the next day ...
These buildings are so beautiful, why don’t we build beautiful things for everyday people anymore?! Thank you Lucy!!
I wish I had the answer to that .. because I would certainly be campaigning more if I did :)
The outdoor drop toilet, flag floors, black leaded range, single cold tap and rag rugs all remind me of my childhood home. We were one of the exceptions on our street because we actually had some electricity in the house. The terraced homes on the other side of the street still had gas mantles and the street lights were gas, lit by the lamplighter in the evening and extinguished by the knocker upper in the morning. Then you would hear the clatter of clogs on the cobbles as people rushed to begin their shift at the mill. My mother worked on the clog sellers stall in the local market hall.
Oh,,I would love to be there then
@@amelia2656 sounds wonderful
Would the pigs have eaten the human poo, in the combined pig sty & toilet? As often done in rural India today?
I watched a programme once about life on a farm. It was set around late Victorian times and they did exactly that. There was a hole in wall of the privy and the waste...to be polite 😄...went straight out to the pigs next door.
Same!
Henry has a big smile on his face and wants to say thank you 😊 another brilliant video Lucy 😄
He is SO welcome! Anytime! I was really touched by him liking my videos.
HELLO TO LITTLE HENRY❕️🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
My Mum is 95 in March, born 1930. The changes through her life have been many. She is up with it though as she uses cellphone, does emails, buys online lol etc. So encouraged by her grit.
Your mum sounds amazing! My mum died 6 years ago and for about 6 years I had been trying to get her to have Internet and shop online. She would not do it and I'm sure she would have enjoyed it because she was always out shopping when she was able. You can lead a horse to water but... Best wishes to your lovely mum 😊
Good for her I am 71 seen many changes and lived in houses like those on the video it must seem like a different world to her it certainly does to me.
@@lorrainerichardson3280 good for her, how wonderful, 90 is the new 70😏
She's brilliant!!! I cannot stand it when I see people taking the mick online of older people with technology! Imagine going from a gramaphone, to a record player, to tapes, cds and then everything is on a little device - I admire them greatly and your Mom sounds amazing: send my love x
Another wonderful video seeing 4 different dwellings from the same era was so interesting although they all had the same lack of mod cons ! My Mum who had been born in 1909 and was 90 when she died embraced all the new things which came through her life ,the telephone and central heating being her favourites, I have also enjoyed reading all the comments from your subscribers , you have created a lovely community Lucy ❤😊
I know a lady, now in her eighties, who, up until 10 years ago had to use a “thunder box” toilet in an out house behind her small cottage. She finally had an extension built with a bathroom. Can you believe it?! I couldn’t, until I had to use it!
Gosh! Did she agree to use the new facilities? I've read stories of people being given brand new bathrooms but still refusing to use them as they liked the old ways .. thanks for sharing this.. she is made of stern stuff!
They called them thunder jugs here in the states
My lovely grandma used a tin bath and had an outside toilet and when I HAD to use it my eyes were everywhere looking for spiders because they were huge. She had no central heating and her hot water came from a very small boiler type thing you had to light with a match. As she got older I took her to see a flat in sheltered housing well she loved it and it had everything to keep her warm and cosy and lots of hot water by just turning on the tap 😂.
The squatters cottage, possibly you would always be aware that you could be kicked out, I could just about imagine the family life, forever trying to make a living. Since working on my Family tree I am so aware of how they lived and possibly they would have had a similar dwelling as most were agriculture workers, also so very grateful that 2, 3 and 4 generations back they came out to New Zealand, some paid for by the poor union. That house was the one that caught my attention this week. Thanks Lucy, you have possibly given me more info on how my ancestors lived. Take care =-)
This is brilliant - I am so pleased it has given you a "view"
To how it might have been for them. I always think how tough that trip out to NZ must have been - long and rough too. - you are made from tough stock as we would say here x
I commend you Lucy on you're dedication to providing such high class output through your channel on such a cold day, wonderful once again.
Thank you! It was "bracing" but I was so involved in being at Blists Hill I barely noticed after a while - plus the wonderful fires kept me warm sporadically. Thanks for your lovely compliment and it absolutely my pleasure!
It always blows my mind too to think of the changes in such a relatively short period. People in the future will probably think the same of us! 😂
... I am already having my mind blown with all the electronic controls in the house, I am like can't I just flick a switch? haha
Thank you Lucy. You have no idea how important your videos are to me. When I see a new one come up I know I will find comfort & a small escape from where I am. Just that small amount of time watching makes my heart warm.
I will get out one day, I know I will, but for now I’ll take a little comfort from you.
Thank you love
❤️
@@patriciabailey9792 Blessings to you Patricia, hope things improve for you.❤
Patricia that's so lovely, please don't even be alone, my email inbox is always open for a chat, that is so kind of you to say and it really does mean a lot x
Absolutely, we have such wonderful people in the comments for my channel, I am so lucky x
I live in the United States and I absolutely love going along on your adventures. I don’t think I’ll every save up enough to travel abroad. This way I just tag along with you, and I usually learn something while being entertained. So thanks a bunch! ❤
You are incredibly welcome on ALL my trips! I am not sure I will get abroad for a while so I am enjoying showing you this lovely country I am lucky to call home x
Hi Lucy! Thank you for another great video! I loved all the cottages, but for some reason the Victorian workers Terraced house looked so cozy and comfortable. I don’t think I would have survived in those times though. So cold, and the outside toilet! Sheesh! I just love coming along with you for a good snoop! Canada is such a young country, some of those cottages are just about the same age! Thanks again Lucy. Sending hugs, Sherry❤❤❤
I don't think I would have survived either but you know I would blummin love to give it a go - I love watching those programmes where they do practical social history.
I loved the first cottage. My great grandparents lived in and I remember using their toilet just like the first cottage, with squares of news paper for toilet roll hung up with string. They had a well they shared for their water and heating and cooking was done on the range. I'm 58 and they lived in the country two up , two down and the stairs went up behind the range. A little door to the left of it. Xx
Thanks for sharing this, so wonderful, I just love hearing other peoples memories - bet that water out of the well was so delicious too!
@throughlucyslens and always stone cold no matter what time of year. They still cooked on the range until the late 70s and collected water from the well and had that wooden hole with metal bucket underneath till the late 70s, then the council moved the to a bungalow. The room where they cooked and lived was tiny and was taken up with a big round table with a centre leg that had 3 leg coming out and on the top of each one just before it reached the floor each leg had a giant lions claw on. And rag rugs in front of hearth. Xx
Looking at and living in a pre central heated house is a lot different. Anyone who grew up in a home with only the living room and kitchen heated during the hours the family were awake will be able to explain how cold it was getting up in the morning before the fire was lit. Brrrrrrr.
We were so cold in our rented cottage in the 70s that the water in the toilet froze, and we had to sleep with coats piled on the bed. It was hard but character building? Thing is we still haven't installed central heating, we must be tough old age pensioners.😅
In the 70s my parents only had a coal fire. There was 8 of us living in the home and I can remember the ice formed not only on the outside of our bedroom window but also on the inside, single glazing then. We also had coats on top to keep warm.
I now live in a Victorian cottage and it's 160 years old but is somewhat modern compared to the ones in the video. I love old houses they ooze character.
@@patkilmurray4702 We had a paraffin hurricane lamp in our toilet to stop it freezing. It was in side the house but was accessed by an outside door. Daft idea but when the house was built it was considered unhealthy to have the toilet opening out into the house it self.
Absolutely! ❤️
I just finished Ruth Goodman's book about the Victorian era, so this video was perfect timing! It's fascinating to be able to see so many things that I just read about.
I love Ruth Goodman so much - she is such an inspiration to me, I was listening to her on Womans Hour a few weeks ago and she has achieved so much through just LOVING the subject. Really do look up to her - and will check out that book.
@@throughlucyslens She is fantastic! I love how she just throws herself into history. Her passion is contagious. The book was called How to Be A Victorian, and I can't recommend it enough!
Your videos are wonderful for history. Also I’ve always wanted to visit England,well Great Britain. And you show me so many interesting places. If I ever am lucky enough to visit I’ll pay you to be a tour guide 😊❤
... I would happily do it for free!! thanks for coming with me on this little explorations, it's so appreciated!
Theses houses were better built than most houses today. All that you show is so familiar. My generation, those born in @ 1940’s is a transitional one, that bridges the way of life in the Victoria to nowadays. We are quite resilient and have inherited skills from our grandparents for survival in a world without modern conveniences and technology, not to mention the lack of abundance in almost everything. Also we are privileged to have lived through such interesting changes.
PS really enjoyed your video, so well presented.
I would like to live in a house like that any day these new builds are so tiny only just put in a bed and a bed side table if you are lucky enough i always think where do they put all there stuff??
I think you are blinking AMAZING and I look up to you greatly! Genuinely, thanks for pointing that out because people need to see it!
How lovely of you to say hello to Henry. Loved all the houses. My favourite was the toll house. There are couple near here and I’ve always fancied living in one. I love the way you bring the places to life by saying who lived there. Another really lovely one. Thanks 😊
I was so touched he tuned in - what a privilege to be able to speak to the next generation about something I love. Nice to hear from you as always Gail, I do appreciate your lovely feedback.
Oh my goodness, I completely love that first cottage! Wish America would care about old historical homes like this.
It's a terrible shame. I have a list of living museums world wide and there are "some" in the USA - not as many as there should be though with that amazing history.
I have to confess, I've had to watch this one twice lol so much to take in
HUGE thank you for the mention, I truly hope more viewers subscribe, to help promote your channel further and educate more people and share the joy of your videos
The first cottage and comments, remind me of Saltaire, West Yorkshire, a town built by 19th century industrialist Sir Titus Salt, not only controlled his workers in the workplace, but their homes, entertainment, education and religion.
I hope that fire warmed you through, bless ya, definitely suffering for your art.
My late father, born 1930, remembers his ore, when as a youngster possibly just into teens visiting London relatives and discover electric light switch, they were from Norfolk and still on oil lamps.
I'd love more information on the squatters cottage, how that system works. I think of squatters as illegally tenanted.
You'd think with the lack of privacy, families wouldn't expand at the rate they did
Toll houses and lodge gates always struck me by their architectural design and detailing, guess gate houses were the "first impression" for guests.
Your comment on the heart of the home, just struck me, add an H and you get hearth !!
Beauty of subscribing also gets you notified of new uploads, so viewers don't miss an episode, well done Lucy, know that push took some doing.
The stories contained in each property, and the way you bring them to life is super amazing.
All your updates are chilled, but oh so entertaining
Looking forward to your next update
Take great care Lucy
Geoff
Consider that families 'expanded' due to lack of information or reliable contraception in those days.
Thanks so much Geoff, an interesting social history snippet for you .. I think adults doing adult things in a busy home was just a fact of life, I think it just went on behind a sheet up and was just kind of accepted - and of course the lack of contraception gave the women little choice. Still today more children are born in the late spring / early summer because of the dark nights when there is little more to do too. Thanks for pushing me to ask - I think it's working to be honest, I will keep it up. I have found out a few more squatters cottages and I am really eager to see them - it's a system I have only just found out about too. I knew about common land but not squatters rights to live on land for a fine - every day is a school day :)
@throughlucyslens very much so, and you are an excellent, engaging teacher
I sure hope more subscribe, so youtube push your excellent channel to more audience
Keep up the great work
Bless ya again for getting so chilly to bring us those cottages
Take care
Geoff
I do like the idea of the squatter's cottage, hand made by the dwellers, with a garden and some livestock around it, and owned by them outright if they could just stick it out, but strictly as a building/house I like the Duke of Sutherland Cottage.
What I liked best was that I got to go along with Lucy to view them, from the warmth of my own home!
That's so kind of you, thanks for coming with me - it's an absolute pleasure to take you along. It's hard to choose which one you like the best isn't it? I was the same!
Thank you for another fascinating video of past life and homes in the UK. Lucy, you're a star!
You are so welcome! Thank you for coming with me :)
Thank you for another good show!
I need to find a friend like you in my area.
Aww you can chat to me on here anytime! Thank you for coming with me :)
I look forward to these every week. ❤️
Honestly! Same! I love posting something different and the fact people enjoy them blows my mind!
As a child I remember going back to Burnley for Christmas from the West Country to be with Grandparents and other family. I remember the outdoor toilets that were always white washed but the walls were ringing wet... You only went out of necessity. My Great Aunt still had an old Victorian range in the 1970's though she didn't use it to cook. My great Grandad was a landowner but sold the land to be developers. He built 3 houses in the same area for family members. The houses had small brick yards, very steep steps to the bedroom and baker light light switches. Grandma & Grandad E were posh they because they had an upstairs bathroom (thanks to great Grandad). So in a way Dad was punching above his weight when he started courting our mother. However, dad was ambitious and not only went to Grammar school but also University where he succeeded in gaining a BA and MA and elevating his family from his humble working class background.
Bakelite
Thanks for sharing this, really appreciate it. I love hearing stories like this because it's important to remember there were people who changed their lives completely through hard work and determination - still is - and I love to hear it :)
I love ❤️❤️❤️ las victorias son Hermosas y Elegante para compartir ❤️💋💋💋🌹 Éxitos y Excelente ❤ Amo las Historias ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
¡Muchas gracias por venir conmigo, eres tan amable! Es un absoluto placer mostrarte todo.
Thank you Lucy, I loved your census searching for extra info, and stories 🐿
Thank you, I am never happier than when I have my nose in a census .. some of these were tough to find out as the addresses were complicated but I was so happy to find them!
Love how much your channel has grown, you deserve it!!!!
Honestly I am still quite in disbelief! I thought it would just be me, the dog and possibly a few relatives I could convince to watch! .. so thank YOU!
Love your channel. So informative you definatly deserve more subs!
That's so very kind - I am terrible at asking but I am genuinely appreciative of anyone who enjoys coming with me be that 1 person or 100 - absolutely blows my mind!
I couldn't make my mind up Lucy, each one had something special about it! So I settled for the Scarecrow. He was there at the beginning and caught my eye! Thank you, I loved all of them.
haha, I love that - he was a jolly scarecrow indeed wasn't he?
great video! thanks Lucy. Wishing you well😊
Many thank, thanks for coming with me - very much appreciated :)
My grandparents house was built in 1908, and had a tiny add on kitchen with a small boiler on the wall for hot water, a front room which was never used, as it was for "when the priest called", and the only heating was a 3 bar electric fire, angled towards my nana's legs.....plus, the piece de resistance... an outside toilet, which was still the only toilet back in the 80's. No bathroom, strip washes in the kitchen, and a tin bath to be used in front of the fire. There was just so much furniture and hundreds of knick knacks.
My grandmother was one of 13 (living) children and lived in a 2 up 2 down thatched cottage as a child 💖
Wow .. 13! Amazing! It always amazes me so many people lived in a tiny house and yet that front room was still reserved for special visitors when they probably could have really done with that extra space.
@ I could never work out where they put them all lol x
Wonderful visit-thank you! The toll house won my heart. It was inviting and charming. I also loved the many roles it filled through time.❤❤
Lovely video, Lucy.. I may never see Blist Hill, and you have taken us on a lovely tour. Thanks for taking us and braving the cold!
You are so very welcome, it's a wonderful place and I am so happy to have the opportunity to share it with you :)
My Grandma was born in Sheffield, Yorkshire in 1892, and I can remember as a very young child how intrigued I was when she used to tell me about her life as a young girl. She had a coal fire burning and I remember how she had to clean the soot from the flues every morning. I must have been about eight years old. Thankyou Lucy, I love your videos.
Thanks for sharing that, I just love the smell of a coal fire and I can imagine you sat there with your Grandma listening about her life - I wish I had asked my Grandparents more!
Thank you for braving the cold and doing the research for us 😊
Any time :)
Despite being basic by today's standards, they look cozy and welcoming! 😍
I agree, although in reality I doubt I would last 5 minutes in the cold and damp!
I was born in 1951 in Kettering, Northamptonshire. Until I was 10 or 11 yrs old we lived in a bay-fronted 3 bedroomed house with NO BATHROOM OR TOILET indoors and there was a cast iron pump for well water in the kitchen, although it did have mains cold water. We used to bath in a tin tub in front of the fire. It was awful having to go outside to the loo which had a high tank and pull chain to flush. I remember my aunt lived in Lancashire and had one of those hole toilets with a wooden seat, which frightened me LOL
YES! We went to a holiday cottage once with a toilet like that and I was terrified I was going to fall down it and end up in the sludge down there .. we recently stayed in a shepherds hut with a compost toilet and that freaked me out too - I certainly like my creature comforts in that way!
Oh the joy! The delightful Squatters cottage, strange how I remembered it to be round but wonderful to see it again, well some of it at least, darn squirrel 😂. I loved all the houses and it's so nice to see the contents displayed, rag rugs, patchwork and crochet throws, stone jars and lace curtains fill me with happiness. I've been collecting Victoriana my entire life so you can imagine just how much I loved this. Thanks Lucy.❤
That's so wonderful to hear - I love it too! And this is interesting I thought it was round in my head too so when I went to edit I was like "oh it's oblong" maybe it has some kind of optical illusion in the mind - it's THAT special! :)
Thanks for a look round this great place! My grandparents lived in similar places especially my nan who didn’t have indoor plumbing until she moved to a council bungalow well into the seventies.Lots of furniture and bits from my grans house have made it into my own home, nothing we make now will last that long. They always said they never felt hard done by as no one else they knew had much more! My gran, born in 1895,saw so much more change than we will ever see- from horse and cart to the moon landing and Concorde! I hope you teach history as you have such a knack of making it interesting, and bringing it alive, a real inspiration to youngsters! Thanks again for showing us such an interesting place, my favourite is also the squatters cottage! Xx
Thank you, I don't teach history actually .. very long story short I "used" to but I didn't enjoy being in the secondary school system, too much stress and politics and it made me fall out of love with my subject. I now teach adult skills working with them to build their confidence and enter new careers and it's really fulfilling as I love people and motivating but history can be my passion again where I can explore on my own terms x
It struck me how you described the lives of people during this period as "simple." I think their lives were anything but simple. Keeping the house warm and lit, retrieving water, using the loo, buying groceries, paying bills - all of that would have been time consuming and required a bit of knowledge to navigate. I would actually argue that our lives are, in some ways, more simple than Victorian life. Advances in communication, electricity, plumbing, cleaning - all of that makes small tasks super simple and frees us up for other things. Not being critical at all Lucy! Love your videos so much!! ❤❤
No that's really interesting and I appreciate your perspective. For me I feel they are simple because I feel a great load from modern life in regards communication - constantly being available .. that puts a lot of pressure on me so I think the simplicity comes from that rather than the manual load which lets face it I would barely deal with as I struggle to do my washing today with a big machine, great perspective and something for me to think about when I express my views (maybe a bit more clarifcation) Thank Robin - you couldn't offend me! Love your comments x
@throughlucyslens I do agree that our modern technology has both simplified and complicated our lives. There have been studies that show that modern conveniences actually increase our workload - now that vacuuming a rug is a snap, you do it more, for example. But it does bother me a bit when people talk about the past as "simpler times." I think, like you said, we focus on the bits that seem more quaint or or less bothersome than what we're used to rather than looking at the lives of historical people in their entirety. While I too get overwhelmed with modern life, I wouldn't trade it for a life in historic times. Manual labor was hard and sometimes fatal; medical care was primitive compared to today; travel was exhausting, expensive, and time consuming.
Absolutely, I honestly am not sure I would still be here due to some of the illnesses I've had - antibiotics literally saved my life on more than one occasion!
Been to Blisst Hill - it is amazing and plan to go again as it's so extensive anddidn't get to see everything. Lovely to see the beautiful fires burning
I was SO SO glad to see those fires! The one in the Toll house in particular was music to my ears I stood warming myself up for ages - nothing like it. I need to go back too, maybe when the weather is a bit brighter! I like to see places in different lights / seasons. They always feel so different!
Hello! I stumbled across your video because I love all things history. I am from the United States and I love the UK and its history. This was so fascinating! Thank you!
I loved the squat house too. I hope the people that lived there had good lives. ❤❤❤
I think in their own way they probably did.
LOVE that iron bed in the tollhouse. In college, I slept in one very like it that a good friend was kind enough to loan me. It came complete with a feather bed that was covered with old-fashioned blue-and-white ticking. I had to return it to him when I graduated. I really loved that bed.
I am sat here on my lunch break going through my comments and honestly I have just sunk into that bed in my imagination - I think I am really tired! haha
I love the squatters cottage ❤
I think that's my favourite too - it's just so different.
So enjoyed the visit thank you Lucy for braving the cold. Loved all the houses, wow the Union Jack rag rug would love to make one of those. ❤
It's awesome isn't it that rag rug? I think it's the most intricate one i've ever seen - great work by someone!
Dear Lucy,
The effort and history you put in all your videos keep me so intrigued and wanting more. You are amazing….. and your narration is a plus. Thank you. Hugs
Thank you so much - massive hugs back this has really made my day ❤️
I loved all the houses but the toll house is special, to me, because it was built as one thing and changed into something els. Thank you.
Totally agree places that change their purpose seem special.
I love to see the social side of history, how "normal" people lived. Thank you Lucy 💖
Me too - kindred spirits :)
All the houses were wonderful in their own right, but my favourite was definitely the Toll House, I could quite happily live there, it looked so cosy 😀 Thank you for taking us along Lucy 😊 x
Very welcome, it was a wonderful house wasn't it - I really liked the same, it seemed to give you a hug when you were in there.
Thank you once more. The Victorian era is my favourite. When I was a child, we had a 'long drop' toilet and I was always terrified of falling down it!
Me too!!! I remember staying in a cottage in Wales and I was in pain as I really didn't want to use the long drop!
Thank you, Lucy for driving us through the tunnel of time❤
Absolutely my pleasure :)
Each home has her own charm that my favorite is the last one.
Absolutely agree, that's why I like to show a few as they are all so different, a little something for everyone :)
Super visit Lucy! Sorry you had technical problems and t was so cold the day you visited …but you are right ,it did add atmosphere and a greater understanding of what people did to keep warm….not just tapping the Smart Control App on an IPhone to set the heating on the way home to have a warm house then eh? Watching the video …I wondered what saving of current houses might happen? The home now super smart controls , for everything in the house ! Just talking to an Alexa or similar to organise one’s life whilst sitting on a sofa ! And some eating a Pizza ordered and delivered hot to the front door ( not me actually …deliveries to my village? No! ) Yes ,life is very different , better? Maybe? Community though? Blists Hill on my list now to revisit after some years. Thanks Lucy for the interesting visit .
We have Alexa and Google Home and everything in my home as my husband is a big fan - I drive him mad because I actually prefer to just switch a switch .. I find that easier .. and technology likes the trick me! I had to work in the dark last night as for the life of me I couldn't get the app to work. I think I prefer simple things! ... But I am a fan of hot pizza to the door! haha
Loved seeing these houses and hearing all the history.
All ads to the atmosphere on a cold winters day.
If I moaned about the cold when staying in my nans maisonette she used to say "go stand outside for 5 minutes and come back in and you will soon see its warmer inside". Even though her house had one fire in the front room and just an oil heater in her bathroom.
@@stephnewman1357 isn't it lovely that we are still using our grans sayings, they had so many and they were so wise.
Hahaha .. similarly my Nan used to say "go outside so you can appreciate the indoors when you come in" ... she was full of them bless her! :)
100%
Lovelly visit! I have been a subscriber since i first saw your videos! Those stone floors look cold. Stone floors are very uncommon in the USA. We almost always have wood floors.❤❤
Hey Laura, lovely to hear from you, that's really interesting about the wooden floors, I think it might be because had so much access to tiles as a natural resource here where I believe you have a lot of wooden homes too - we don;t have many here.
You're the Queen of social history, you make brilliant videos, thoroughly enjoy every one of them.Can't wait for your the next one !!!
Whaaat? Omg - that's made my day ... You are a star, thank you, I do (and always have) really loved it - it's so amazing I can share it with you x
Absolutely love the Toll House!
Great tour! Thanks Lucy!!❤️🇨🇦
Many Thanks! Waving across the Atlantic to you in Canada :)
What a lovely video, I thoroughly enjoyed your tour Lucy♡ I liked the "Toll House", very inviting, quaint, and comfortable.
It's beautiful isn't it - and that wonderful fire - gorgeous!
Very enjoyable. I appreciate that you scan the objects and rooms in a slow and steady way. Makes me feel like I am actually there myself. Thanks.
Thank you, I am glad you notice, sometimes I am standing in a room for so wrong I do wonder if they think "what is she doing in there" but I find it really frustrating when things are flashed before my eyes so I try and stop that happening in my videos - thanks for your feedback :)
Thoroughly enjoyed this video, yet again another great time travel back in the day. Thankyou again xx
Very, very welcome, thank you for coming with me Christine :)
Hi Lucy! My husband and I have just discovered your videos. We love them!! Love hearing how others lived from different time periods and different backgrounds! We are from the US and we learn so much about your country. Just wonderful!!
Thanks so much for coming with me - it is so appreciated, it's so nice because I am usually on my own knowing how many people are with me really in spirit
Fascinating video, Lucy! Loved the tour of those cottages. Life was very hard back then and makes you grateful for what we have today! I’m so glad that museums like Blists Hill exist since they bring the past to life and serve as a reminder of the harsh conditions people had to endure.
Absolutely and as someone who learns by doing they are the perfect place for me to indulge in what I love!
I could happily live in the first and the fourth houses - be still my heart! Marvelous video. Thanks so much.
Thank you. They are lovely aren't they? Something so strangely familiar about a lot of Victorian architecture.
I always look forward to your videos. Thank you for another great video Lucy 😊
Thanks for coming with me, it really means a lot x
Thank you for video Lucy, all 4 houses I find fascinating😊😊😊❤❤❤👍👍👍👍
It was so hard to make a choice for me too :)
Another great video, Lucy. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE LOVE LOVE your channel. Till next time👋👋
Thank you! I love it! x
Thank YOU. I just love your videos, you do them so well. I too ponder over how people used to live and find it so interesting and humbling. Thanks for the pleasure you give.
Honestly, you don't know how happy it makes me to have found such a wonderful community of people who love the same things as me - I spent a lot of my time with my head in the past and I enjoy doing this so much!
I love watching you Lucy xxx
Honestly I find that so surprising .. and humbling - it's really really kind of you :)
Hi I I absolutely love the little cottages look so cosy and so much charm to them 🥰🥰
Absolutely beautiful aren't they? Thanks for coming with me on my little adventure :)
The first home reminded me a lot of my nana’s house in Cumberland, whenever we when to see her she would make tomato soup with a swirl of cream in it, funny the little snippets we pick up and carry with up throughout the journey of life, would love to explore this more xx
Mmm that cream would have made all the difference too - lovely memory, thank you for sharing x
Such a treat! Thank you🙏🌷
Very very welcome! I just love sharing these places.
The squatters cottage was my absolute favourite part of that museum when we went. I would be happy living in one like it now.
It's really special isn't it?
@ absolutely. I would be so happy to be cosy and comfortable in a place like that, not a concrete over insulated box.
Hi Lucy, I love your channel! Your empathy for working people really comes through. You are so genuine. If I lived in the British Isles I could see us meeting up for coffee and chatting about social histroy all afternoon. I'm so glad I found you. Keep it coming!
Thank you! and I would be SO happy to do that - I love nothing more than meeting for coffee (and a nice piece of cake) and chatting about what I love with other passionate people - for now we can always chat in the comments, I love to hear from you.
Girl! I can't even see your breath! COLD! It's 0°F right now in Cincinnati, Ohio USA.
LOVING this video!
Hahaha, yes, you get it COLD COLD - we just like a good moan here at the sign of any inclement weather .. ;)
Fascinating as always. Thank you. My ancestors hail from England, Ireland, Denmark, & Germany. It’s always sobering to realize the much harsher conditions of their lives. I love the simple charms of the past, but I am wholly attached to the indoor plumbing and heating of the present. 😂
I am exactly the same as you - I like to think I would cope but in reality .. brrrrr
Thanks Lucy for another great visit. I like the Toll-keepers Cottage as well. We actually have a volunteer run Toll-Keepers Cottage museum here in Toronto. It’s a lucky and unlikely survivor of the Victorian era in a city that doesn’t value its history. I live in what was originally a two up, two down terrace house from the 1870s. We have the list of tenants for the first 50 years or so. As many as 15 people lived in what is now considered a “condo alternative” for a professional couple.
Oh my goodness!! How I would love to visit, I adore toll houses - I am going to look this place up now, may not ever get there in real life but I would love to see it! I agree entirely - privacy must have been such a commodity, we get in each others way with just 2 of us so goodness knows what it would have been like with 10 people in here .. busy I suspect!!
Keep the stink in sync 😂 brilliant 😅. I loved them all, although for the investment of it the squatters cottage is appealing. Thank you for another excellent peek into history 😊
Thanks for coming with me - and I think I love the squatters cottage most too - just because it's so unusual - and really has a lovely atmosphere, I hope next time I go it's open again .. and the squirrel has been evicted to a better tree!
Hi Lucy, i am just catching up on your visit to Blists Hill. So glad you showed the toll house, it was my favourite when i was a volunteer there a few years ago. I wish someone had been there to chat to you about it. That is what i liked to do, also used to crochet things for the house and cook simple things in the range oven, such as bread and butter pudding or apple crumble. Smelt so nice and the house was so cosy and i think visitors really liked that.🙂💗
It was wonderful, there was a lady in there but she was busy banking up the fires and I didn't want to disturb her, it was so serene like she belonged there, there were some chestnuts ready to go over the fire and I would have loved to have eaten one! haha.
Lucy, fabulous video, narration is spot on, so enjoyable and interesting, thank you for sharing 😊
That's so kind of you, I really enjoy doing it and I think it comes through in my voice :)
Pausing here before I have finished watching: Lucy, I don't know why anybody would need to be prompted to subscribe to your videos. Anyone with any sense would rush to subscibe after watching even one or two, which is what I did a few months ago.
Every single video you post is a delight, and I will be watching this one immediately after its end so I can have a better look at all the details.
Thank you - I have just tried to answer your questions on your other comment x
So very interesting. I loved them all. I can't imagine living in them until the 1970s. Living in America, we had a 3 bedroom 2 bath home in the 1970s. I can't imagine living that primitive then. 😢 I have subscribed! I love looking at old historic homes. ❤
Thanks Cindy and welcome! Nice to meet you.
Another fantastic tour. Thank you so much Lucy for taking us along with on such a cold day. I just loved all the cottages.
The bit made me laugh were the toilet remains were used for fertilizer. Talk about eating your own s**t Sorry but I just couldn't resist that 🤣🤣
I know right .. I mean I know deep down that nature does it's thing and it's absolutely okay but I don't think I could look at my carrots in the same way if I knew I was doing that .. hahaha
Loved them all. Numbers 1 and 4 were most like mine as mine was built in 1839 for the local silver lead mine captain and his family. Love history... xx
This is brilliant! It's amazing how many of us still live in homes that were built for workers - I am very proud of that!
Lucy that was great! Brrrrrr! Brrrrrr! 🥶🥶 It looked cold indeed! I was thinking also during the hot and humid Summer months how miserable it must have been to be down in the mines, in a factory then go home to a sorta stinky home because of the close proximity to the Privy. Take care of yourself, keep having fun filming your beautiful country! ox 💖Linda C. 🇺🇸
Thanks Linda - I could be wrong but I think it was always cool down the mines because of the lack of sun light but I guess bodies warmed it up - I'll have to look into that you have made me think!
We have a 1926 bungalow which needed a lot of tlc when we bought it 18 months ago in North Wales. We've keep the quarry tile floor in the kitchen, but boy it is cold. We love them though...great content Lucy love your attention to detail. Tracy 😊
Thanks Tracy - we love our quarry tile floor too - funny fact though the dog wont "sit" on them because I think it makes him bottom too cold - he was shuffle over to the rug to sit for a treat!
What a great video. I'm adding Blists Hill to my bucket list. We live in a Victorian terraced house, but with wooden floors as our area has no natural stone deposits. Even now we keep one room warm, especially during the winter evenings.
We are the same in our house ,we keep the back room warm which traditionally would have been the gathering space and everywhere else is blinking freezing! I love getting into a cold bed and warming up though, sleep so much better when it's chilly x
The rugs are called "Proggy Mats" up here. We used to see them every where. I think they were made long after they were actually needed, a bit like quilts.😀 Great videos.
Love this! I have never heard that word before, you can still buy kits I think - I should have a go really shouldn't I?
There are times I'd love to go back and live their lives with them, but reality pulls me back to the comfort of modern living, we are pretty spoilt nowadays compared to them. Thank you Lucy for another wonderful video. ❤
I would love to do some experimental history and find out for myself ,, maybe one day .. I think it would be super cold and I would probably do a lot of moaning - or at least trying NOT to moan, I very much admire those who came before me!
Thank you for sharing these lovely old places. Each house has its own charm, but I did like the toll house. I've always had an interest in social history, too. It's fascinating to see how people used to live. Their lives seem unbearably hard to us, but I guess they knew nothing else.
Absolutely. I do wonder myself, we didn't have any central heating until I was about 10 and I don't remember feeling hard done by or that cold really (apart from getting ready for school I remember that was freezing) x
@@throughlucyslens I know what you mean. Growing up here in Perth, we had no air-conditioning back then and we'd have heat waves with days of 40 degrees C and up. It was hard to sleep at night. We are so lucky now aren't we?
We're staying in a Toll House when we visit Ironbridge! Thanks for another wonderful video, Lucy!
Are you! Omg! I didn't know there was one to rent - you are going to have to tell me all about it!
@@throughlucyslens you can come for a visit! If you google the Old Toll House in Coalport it's on the map as such! I found it on AirBnB. It's more updated, of course, but from the outside still retains its original charm 😍
Only part way through but I have to say the Christmas tree would not have been colour coordinated and wouldn't have had half as many "baubles" on it, that and the LCD lights annoyed me a little. I do love your videos though Lucy and as a keen amateur social historian I find them very informative.
Yep, it annoyed me too as I said in the videos (didn't mention the baubles though as I know sometimes people who work in the museums watch my videos and they are, as you can imagine protective of their work). It's rare I go somewhere that's entirely authentic - the squatters cottage here was though which I appreciated a lot.
@@throughlucyslens Yes the squatters cottage was fascinating, because I never even knew they existed, or if I did I forgot lol! Have you thought about coming to Howarth in West Yorkshire? I live in South Yorkshire, the Bronte museum and the village itself is beautiful. ♥
Goodness, but you were brave, heading out in such freezing weather. I think I am torn between the love of the toll house and the squatter's cottage too. I think what I find fascinating about toll houses is that they tend to look like miniature wealthy homes on the outside, with their columned doorways etc. but are actually quite modest inside. I would never want to go back to the days (that I grew up in) with no central heating in winter.
Yes, they look like little Georgian pagodas outside don't they with all their classical columns. Very cosy! I often wonder if they built in that way to show their "importance" as in where the money would be collected for the land you are walking on. I don't fancy those early mornings with ice inside the windows again either - as lovely as those times were in lots of ways.
We lived in a council house after the prefab. It also had a good sized rear garden that my Dad tended for our veggies. Broad beans, runner beans, peas, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, sweet corn, onions and potatoes. I know because I was always around when he harvested the vegetables. Pinching the peas was my favourite part! I forgot the cabbages and the carrots!
If you go onto Google Earth and find 25 Sandy Lane, Hartley Wintney, Hants you will see it!
Oh yes .. you cannot BEAT a fresh pea from the pod, I used to steal those too, we never had them cooked as between me and my Dad they were all gone well before they hit the pot! I will go and have a look at that now - still standing proud :)
Your voice is so soothing. I can feel your love
Thank you! you know it's funny until I started the channel I didn't like my voice because of my accent but your lovely comments have really given me confidence - so thank you!
Thanks so much, I loved this. I am looking forward to seeing the next episode. ❤from Canada 🇨🇦
Thanks Diane, it's a pleasure to bring these videos to you :)
Thank you, Lucy, that was really interesting. I think I liked the toll house best, perhaps because of the combination of the toilet and the pigsty!
Yes, and that made so much sense too - better than having to scrape out the mess and move it on - give it to the pigs!
Absolutely fantastic I love coming with you Lucy.
We all love a Victorian/Edwardian house.
I live in a double fronted Edwardian house in London we are trying to bring it back to it's period without the coldness of course we have central heating whereas it would have been coal fires all over the house.
I love the high ceilings and the space of the rooms in other words the nostalgia with modern day living.
Yes the high ceilings in Victorian homes are a big selling point to me - even though square foot wise the rooms are small the ceilings give a sense of height .. I love them! Love to hear you are bringing yours back too - we are trying to do the same.
First time and I subscribe to your sweet content! I love old cottages, has I own one! Love from Louisiana USA
Thank you so much, you are so welcome here - thank you for taking your time to come with on one of my tours :)
Nice video again Lucy loved it and as for the squirrel I reckon he thought to himself if I can hang around here for 60 years I'll have myself a new home it sounds nuts but it's a very good idea nice one squirrel. 😂😂👍
It did make me laugh about the squirrel, I think he had made himself at home over the Christmas closure and probably helped himself to any left over food .. like you .. don't blame him! Squirrels are so determined he was probably back the next day ...