Melanie Backe-Hansen's Blog, page 2

The house historian’s summer

While many of you have been on summer holidays to far flung destinations (or in sunny Blighty!) the summer months have been rather busy for me (which explains the time since my last blog post)! I have been completing a large

Shelley and Churchill and the 17th century house

West Wantley in Sussex is a beautiful historic house with many retained architectural features, but most notably it was linked to the family of poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, and later in the 19th century it was also visited by Clementine Hozier, the future wife

Winston Churchill and The Rolling Stones in Putney

The history of Hotham Hall in Putney is one of my favourites as it strongly illustrates that no matter what a house looks like – or even how old it is – you can uncover a fascinating history! This former community hall

When a king pops in for tea

In thinking about the next blog post I was inspired by the upcoming 90th birthday celebrations for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and I set my mind back through my earlier house histories searching for something with a royal link. However, sadly, I’ve

The Chantry – over 500 years in Devonshire

I am often asked – what is the oldest house you’ve ever researched? – and along with some amazing cottages in Somerset, I think back to this extraordinary 15th century Grade I listed home in Devonshire. The Chantry, built c.1490, is situated

The Suffragettes of Oakley Street

While researching the history of a house for a magazine column, I stumbled across a fascinating piece of history. It was the 1911 census return for No.93 Oakley Street in Chelsea, but instead of the usual list of former occupants, the

Goldfinger and the other Hungarian of Willow Road

Happy new year! As it has been a month since my last blog post, I haven’t had the chance to wish everyone a happy new year :-) I have been a little distracted by having a holiday, but also working

Dickens House for Christmas

With just a few days to go before Christmas, it seems appropriate that I post a blog with a Christmas connection. However, sadly, I don’t have a house history directly related to Christmas, so instead I’ve looked to a man who is

The Baby Grand in Belgravia

This unique house tucked away in Belgravia was nicknamed The Baby Grand by none other than playwright, singer, and composer, Noel Coward. A baby grand in both the sense of a baby grand house surrounded by its much larger Victorian stuccoed

Remembrance and Sir Edwin Lutyens in Mells

With Remembrance Sunday yesterday and Remembrance Day approaching on Wednesday, I am reminded of a project I completed a short time ago in Somerset. I was asked to research the historic and architectural significance of a row of 15th century cottages in