England has some wonderful old architecture and here are some gems from the South West. The picture above is of Buckler's Hard, which backs onto the Beaulieu river in the New Forest. It was originally built in the 18th C for workers of a thriving ship building industry, now it's a very popular tourist attraction.
Anyone of a certain age will recognise this street from the Hovis adverts in the 1980's. It's Gold Hill in Shaftesbury in Dorset and yes that hill is every bit as hard as the boy on his bike made it look!
Another hidden gem is the village of Milton Abbas, also in Dorset. This small village of 36 identical thatched houses was built in 1780 to house the nearby villagers of Middleton which was subsequently demolished. The village was considered an eyesore by Lord Milton who lived in the magnificent Milton Abbey, so he moved it!
Here in Southampton we have our own little gem, the Uplands Estate which is close to the city centre and yet feels in the country. Herbert Collins built this two road estate in the 1920's and 1930's and he was strongly influenced by the Garden City Movement of the time.
The roads have grass verges, bricked pavements and the houses are all wider than the are deep to maximise the natural light inside. Although all privately owned, a strict covenant makes sure the architecture is preserved right down to the colour of the windows and fronts doors. No UPVC double glazing here!
The estate even has it's own brick built post box with a memorial plaque to Herbert Collins. He built a number of similar estates throughout Southampton but this remains the best and most popular with house price reflecting the demand.
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