We re-built the old coalhole that was on the end of the building. It had to be re-built as it was damp and very dark. We finished the flooring in here yesterday and once the varnish has gone off, it will be time to install the skirting boards.
It is a great space – a little quirky – but it just adds character to the room.
Adding skylights and increasing the size of the window has increased the light here as well as increasing the sense of space.
We added these skylights to the coal hole to bring in extra light. We also doubled the size of the window to the left for the same reason. This space is now much lighter – it also feels much bigger than before we rebuilt it (even though it is exactly the same size). It is amazing what difference the light makes.
This room used to be the old coal hole. The door to the left leads to the outside. The steps have been built using flagstones that we reclaimed from the kitchen. The door to the right leads into the main house and I suspect that this used to be the original door into the property. It ceased to be used as the front door when the coal hole was built – the coal hole is on the 1768 map, so this doorway pre-dates that – the steps are original (the bottom step forms part of a foundation stone) and show significant signs of wear.