Their London and their times - Looking for anchors during turbulent times
A farmhouse and its contents
But if she was still there, if he went to see her, passing the crows cawing in the lime trees lining the long drive, itching to share his secrets in her warm and safe farmhouse, the house partly hidden amongst dark laurel bushes, and if he told her that sex is what he does, she would have understood why.
Auntie’s farmhouse is based on a real place in Tilney All Saints. It is a particularly attractive period country house, believed to date back to the 17th century, with later additions and alterations. The house is surrounded by its own land, with fine views of the gardens and grounds and open countryside beyond. The house has evolved over the years, beginning life as a small cottage and with a Georgian facade added in the mid eighteenth century.
Timepieces are a significant part of the old house’s furnishings. Auntie gives Neil an Ogee clock from the house. These American clocks, patented in 1839, could be produced in large quantities at low cost. Because brass resists humidity and is easier to transport on ships than wooden works, the overseas trade in these clocks expanded, and the clocks flooded the English market.
The grandfather clock and the fob watches were made locally in the Fens.
