A Cellar Update

As I may have mentioned before, there are no cellars to view in the RL Dennis Sever building but as the kit I'm using for this project has cellar space, I have to use it.    I found out that there is actually a cellar under the pavement of the RL building and this would have been used for storing fruit/veg etc. so for my purposes, I've put together a space that includes these items and a small Courtyard garden.   There is a little garden space at the back of the RL building but again, for my purposes, I've brought it round to the front.

This is the Cellar space I have been agonising over -

Coming out the back door (from Kitchen) I've started off with some ivy, a cobbled together bench (cardboard box, brick stencil and paving) topped off with a statue.   There is still a lot to do by way of adding bits to these spaces but I was just so pleased at having finally come to a decision on how to deal with them that I had to show you!   I must also give a wee nod of thanks to Elizabeth at Studio E for her beautiful pictures featuring the garden at Green Dolphin Street.   I went through all her garden photos for inspiration on how to kick start my greenery!

Moving through the arch to the central space, I've created an ale and vegetable store as seen through the basement window.   This too still has a long way to go and so far, to the right are the vegetables and to the left the ale and, of course, gin.    I'm just pleased something is happening at last.

Again, through the arch, leads to the coal cellar/log store.   Logs to the right, coal to the left.   Lots to add here and I also have to work out how to create my mound of coal.

On another note - there are no detailed pictures of the DS roof and the RL building doesn't have dormer windows like the property I am using so it's hard to see if there's lead up there (especially as it wasn't built to be super grand) and if there is, it would have been added to comply with our present day Building Regulations.     I went on a quest to find out if lead was actually used for flashing or on dormer windows back in the 1700s and what I was really hunting for was a sentence that would read "they started using lead for flashing in............." but there wasn't!    After quite some time spent hunting, I decided that if the Georgians were mining lead, then they would be using it.   After all, it had been around since the Romans - which leads me quite nicely into something I discovered.

The Romans referred to individuals who worked with pipes etc as "plumbums".    By Medieval times anyone working with lead was known as a "plumbarius" which, over time, eventually turned into...............plumber.   How interesting is that?     I love all these little historical nuggets.