Fans of Norah Lofts discussion

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message 301: by Werner (new)

Werner Hmmm! Robert, my Goodreads inbox still doesn't show any message from you, so I'm guessing there was some sort of technical glitch. I've just sent you a message instead; assuming that you get it, you can use the "reply" function to get in touch with me.


message 302: by Sylvia (new)

Sylvia (sylviab) | 1361 comments It's wonderful to have some map interest again. As I said SO MANY TIMES during this project, my map concept (which is what Werner is sending you)is not THE definitive map, and it would be great if some others would study the research notes and come up with other concepts. Hopefully one of our members has a special talent for following directions and drawing maps.

Another map is available on the NL Photo page, of the village of Clevely, which is on the cover of the original "Afternoon of an Autocrat." It was sent to us by NL's son, Clive. Werner, do you also have the Clevely map on file? I can send a copy to anyone who requests it.


message 303: by Werner (new)

Werner Yes, Sylvia, the BC library also has hard copies of the Clevely map, and can scan and send it electronically.


message 304: by Isabel (new)

Isabel | 6 comments I know that this discussion is from six years ago, but can somebody tell me if the "Layer Wood Map" actually exists, and if so where I can get a copy. Can it be viewed online ?

Isabel in Winnipeg


message 305: by Barbara (last edited Aug 08, 2016 07:58PM) (new)

Barbara Hoyland (sema4dogz) | 2442 comments Hi Isabel good to hear from ( she said hopefully ) a prospective new member or returning old member perhaps?

As you may know, the map was the brainchild of and executed and created by Sylvia, one of the moderators of this thread with input from others of us . We have never actually put it online ,though if Sylvia doesn't object we could, I guess, add it as it as photo on the groups home page . It is all hand drawn of course so may not come out too well.


message 306: by Werner (new)

Werner Isabel, the Bluefield College library (where I work) has the hard copy of the map. We can scan it and send it to you as an email attachment, if you'll send me a personal message with your e-mail address.


message 307: by Sylvia (new)

Sylvia (sylviab) | 1361 comments Nice to meet up with you all in this familiar old location! Isabel, I just want to reiterate that this is NOT a published map approved or used by Norah Lofts. Our membership did several years of research to find a map of Layer Wood, but it apparently does not exist, so all 22 NL books which have a location or connection to her Layer Wood/Suffolk County settings were searched for directional information, and the results filled about 20 pages. Werner also keeps a copy of those notes in the event that another reader or researcher wants to attempt to map out NL's intriguing world. I have to admit that it is a daunting task, but worth the effort, because you enter that woods, wander around, get lost, take another fork, and come out feeling like you know NL's Layer Wood world.

I went to our photos, but did not see the copy of the published map of Clevely (from Afternoon of an Autocrat's jacket) which NL's son Clive sent to us. My vision is extremely bad, so Barbara, Pegs, Werner - could you please look for it? The Clevely map adds SO MUCH pleasure to the reading of the book!

I still have this vision that if a cartographer's map could be made into an artistic poster, listing all of NL's Layer Wood titles, and showing all the manors, farms, castles, haunted spots, towns, Roman ruins, and churches, her amazing books would become a new craze to rival Harry Potter!


message 308: by Werner (new)

Werner Sylvia, the BC library has a hard copy of the Clevely map, too. I'm not sure if there's an online version accessible somewhere or not, but after I get back from vacation (if no else has located it by then), I'll try to do some searching!


message 309: by Barbara (new)

Barbara Hoyland (sema4dogz) | 2442 comments Sylvia, you are right the Clevely map is not amongst the photos on our groups' page. We should post it there perhaps ?


message 310: by Sylvia (new)

Sylvia (sylviab) | 1361 comments Thanks, Werner and Barbara. It was there at one time, and in fact, Barbara, I think you added it. It seems like the scanning would not quite copy to the ends of the map, and the most interesting spot, "The Ride" (I think, known in the book as "the witch's ride") can barely be seen. The path disappears into the edges of Layer Wood on the far right. If you move the copy slightly to pick up "The Ride," you then lose the left edge which shows the Clevely Manor's front gates!

If anybody can get both edges on the copy, it will be Werner, if both show on his copy! But Werner or Barbara, if either of you are willing to scan your copy and put it back in our photo thread, that would be great.

I would like to suggest to all Loftie fanatics that if you enjoy collecting NL's original dust covers, this village map of Clevely on the dust jacket of "Afternoon of an Autocrat" is very special. The artist was William McLaren, an illustrator from Scotland. The muted colors of beiges, greens, and black with red title plates seem appropriate for the class upheavals of the late 18th century. It is a tragedy that he wasn't commissioned to make a Layer Wood map!


message 311: by Isabel (new)

Isabel | 6 comments Barbara wrote: "Hi Isabel good to hear from ( she said hopefully ) a prospective new member or returning old member perhaps?

Hi Barbara...new member but NL fan for 50 years.


As you may know, the map was the brainchild of and executed and created by Sylvia, on..."



message 312: by Isabel (new)

Isabel | 6 comments Thanks for all the comments. I am not familiar with how to
post things to this page. Sorry if I put anything in the wrong
place. I have been a NL fan since my teens. (I just turned 70 !).
Re-reading the wonderful trilogy that begins with "The Town House". Would love to see the map you have made.


message 313: by Isabel (last edited Aug 10, 2016 08:54PM) (new)

Isabel | 6 comments Trilogies :
I have noticed that the "Knight's Acre" books are sometimes referred to as the "Suffolk Trilogy." On Amazon, however,
the 3 books that begin with "The Town House" are called "The Suffolk Trilogy". Which is correct ?


message 314: by Sylvia (last edited Aug 11, 2016 05:01PM) (new)

Sylvia (sylviab) | 1361 comments Isabel, we had a lengthy discussion about the titles, or what we thought should be the titles of NL's two trilogies. I have begun a search for that discussion because I do think we made a decision for ourselves, since there were differing opinions on the internet. I will put those results here if I do find that discussion, and where it is located, but in looking at my own final listing of all of NL's published works, I indicated them as "The Knights Acre Trilogy" and "The Suffolk Trilogy." Both epics take place mainly in Suffolk County.

When we did a group discussion of Knights Acre, we listed the sub-topics under the heading of "The Knights Acre Trilogy."


message 315: by Barbara (last edited Aug 11, 2016 07:58PM) (new)

Barbara Hoyland (sema4dogz) | 2442 comments Isabel wrote: "Thanks for all the comments. I am not familiar with how to
post things to this page. Sorry if I put anything in the wrong
place. I have been a NL fan since my teens. (I just turned 70 !).
Re-readin..."


Hi Isabel - just wanted to say that I just turned 70 too. Frightening isn't it !
Message me or Sylvia or Peggy if you want a hand in posting etc . You are too valuable to lose !

Yes Sylvia, I think we made the right decision to call it ( whatever is actually correct) 'The Knight's Acre Trilogy' as it is more simply descriptive. I think, IRRC, that we went with 'The House Trilogy' for the same reason


message 316: by Barbara (last edited Aug 13, 2016 07:39PM) (new)

Barbara Hoyland (sema4dogz) | 2442 comments Sylvia wrote: "Thanks, Werner and Barbara. It was there at one time, and in fact, Barbara, I think you added it. It seems like the scanning would not quite copy to the ends of the map, and the most interesting sp..."

I am having difficulty finding my copy - oh Lor ! Searching, searching as we 'speak' ....

Update. Phew , found it and uploaded it to the photo page . I must say Sylvia, your great collated notes are fascinating in themselves ! And didn't we have fun doing iit .


message 317: by Sylvia (new)

Sylvia (sylviab) | 1361 comments Yes, Barbara, it was great fun, and actually felt almost like a quest. One thing is certain - if you start to study and sketch out the directions given in all the notes from NL's Layer Wood books, you start to feel very much at home in County Suffolk!

Thanks for searching out and scanning the Clevely map for our photo page, Barbara. Am I totally confused, or have we also scanned the Layer Wood map to the photo thread?


message 318: by Sylvia (new)

Sylvia (sylviab) | 1361 comments DISASTER ALERT!! Barbara and Lofties - I just went to the photo pages to see the scanned map, and it is the first, discarded map - not the final concept map I shared with the forum. Please do not take this map seriously. Even though I did share this one with those members who were working on this project, I soon began to see the "fingered glove" as the fingers pointing southward instead of toward the sea, and I think it was the info regarding Knight's Acre's location that "tipped me off."

So now, dear Barbara (or Werner - I know he has the final Layer Wood map and the Clevely map at hand) - could one of you please scan those to our photos? And should we delete that first map? I don't believe it was a good concept. Sorry for all this confusion.


message 319: by Werner (new)

Werner Sylvia, when I go back to work at the library tomorrow (the copies of the maps are in our vertical file there), I'll try to see what I can do with scanning and posting both of them.


message 320: by Barbara (last edited Aug 15, 2016 02:09AM) (new)

Barbara Hoyland (sema4dogz) | 2442 comments SORRY SORRY everybody , my fault . I have deleted the Layer Wood map now .
( The Clevely one is OK, it's the Layer Wood one which was in error , being a superseded one )


message 321: by Sylvia (new)

Sylvia (sylviab) | 1361 comments Barbara and Werner - thank you both SO MUCH!


message 322: by Werner (new)

Werner Just now, I attempted to upload scanned versions of both the updated Layer Wood map and the Clevely map with no edges cut off. Unfortunately, the program refused to upload either one of them. I'm not sure why! Sorry the attempt wasn't more successful. :-(


message 323: by Sylvia (last edited Aug 15, 2016 11:09AM) (new)

Sylvia (sylviab) | 1361 comments As we used to say as a disappointed kid: "RATS!" But thanks so much for trying, Werner. I don't even have a scanner, so maybe Barbara can find, scan, and post the final L.W. map, or one of us will have to fill any requests with good old snail mail. I haven't heard back from Isabel - have you?

I mentioned Suffolk County earlier, and most of NL's locations are there, but some of them are just "over the border." For instance, the farm Martin Reed escaped from (Rede Farm) and the Foxton Farm where Deborah lived (married Tim Bridger in Gad's Hall) were both in Norfolk. NL's beloved Bywater, so picturesque, was on the sea in Essex County.

It was fun, but frustrating, to have all of these directional notes compiled, and in the studying, there would be discrepancies which I could not reconcile, so I had to make my own calculations or just plain guesses, about a location.

The challenge is still there! NL's own words describing what was where are available in about 20 pages, including other useful information. Just ask!


message 324: by Werner (new)

Werner Yes, Sylvia, I did hear back from Isabel; she sent me her e-mail address, and I got her copy of the map sent off to her today. Scanned copies of the map(s) travel just fine by regular e-mail as attachments, fortunately. It's just when I try to download them to our group's photo page that I run into trouble.


message 325: by Sylvia (new)

Sylvia (sylviab) | 1361 comments Ah well, no electronics make sense to me! So glad Isabel got her map. You seem like our personal reference librarian! Thanks for all you do.


message 326: by Werner (new)

Werner You're more than welcome, Sylvia; glad I can help!


message 327: by Elaine (new)

Elaine (shandorah) | 3 comments Hi, everyone, I am Elaine from Atlanta, Georgia and I just turned 72! I've been watching this group for a while, because Norah Lofts is my favorite author. I've got a collection of her OOP books, and I'm currently collecting Kindle versions and Audible versions so I never have to be away from them.

I would love to see these maps. What's the latest on them?


message 328: by Werner (new)

Werner Elaine, if you send me your e-mail address in a personal message (the Goodreads personal messaging system won't send attachments), I should be able to send you scanned copies of both maps electronically. You 'll probably have to wait until Sunday (which is the next day when i work) however, since the hard copies are at the library where I work.


message 329: by Barbara (last edited Oct 03, 2016 08:26PM) (new)

Barbara Hoyland (sema4dogz) | 2442 comments Elaine wrote: "Hi, everyone, I am Elaine from Atlanta, Georgia and I just turned 72! I've been watching this group for a while, because Norah Lofts is my favorite author. I've got a collection of her OOP books, a..."
Hi Elaine

I see Werner is kindly fixing you up with the wonderful Layer Wood map so I'd just like to say , welcome, welcome, hope to see lot of comments from you on these pages.
We have all been a bit quiet recently . But there is an excuse for me as I live in South Australia which has been (and still is being ) hit by utterly unprecedented weather . The ENTIRE STATE had a power blackout for hours a few days ago. Several young people succumbed to technology withdrawal I believe haha ...


message 330: by Peggy (new)

Peggy (peggy908) | 1051 comments Hello, Elaine, welcome to our group. Lots of friendly folks here from all over the place. Please let us know if you have any questions on how to use the forum.


message 331: by Kassie (new)

Kassie (kassiebee) | 8 comments really late to this party. I discovered Norah Lofts 20ish years ago and read quite a few (what my local library had). Wondering if it's possible to still get these maps emailed to me? I just bought and read To See A Fine Lady, since that was the current group read. I really liked it. I'm more of a lurker and don't feel I can contribute in a meaningful way but thank you all for what you share and post.


message 332: by Werner (new)

Werner Yes, Kassie, the Bluefield College library is the custodian of the map material, and it is possible to send it to you. Just personal message me with your e-mail address, or regular mail address. I can use the scan-and-send function to e-mail you this material, or just mail you the hard copy if you prefer.


message 333: by MaryC (new)

MaryC Clawsey | 712 comments Werner, could you please also send me any NL map material you have? Now how can I *personally* email you?


message 334: by Werner (new)

Werner Mary, I'll be glad to do that for you! To personal message me, go to my profile, here: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... . Under my profile picture, you'll see a prominent button that says "Follow Author." Next to it is a much less prominent (in fact, very faint!) grey pull-down menu link, that looks a bit like a lower-case letter v. When you click on this, one of the options it offers will be "send message." Hope that helps!


message 335: by Kassie (new)

Kassie (kassiebee) | 8 comments Thank you, Werner. I messaged you my email address. Looking forward to perusing the map and trying to fix locations in my head.


message 336: by Werner (new)

Werner I've just e-mailed the material to you, Kassie, using the "scan and send" function. Hope it comes through all right! Let me know if there are any problems or questions.


message 337: by Kassie (new)

Kassie (kassiebee) | 8 comments Thank you Werner, I got it!


message 338: by Werner (new)

Werner Kassie wrote: "Thank you Werner, I got it!"

Great! Thanks for letting me know.


message 339: by MaryC (new)

MaryC Clawsey | 712 comments MaryC wrote: "Werner, could you please also send me any NL map material you have? Now how can I *personally* email you?"

Werner, did I ever follow through on your answer to the message above?


message 340: by Werner (new)

Werner Mary wrote: "Werner, did I ever follow through on your answer to the message above?"

To the best of my recollection, Mary, I don't think that you did.


message 341: by MaryC (new)

MaryC Clawsey | 712 comments Werner, you can email me at aida1200@hoitmail.com


message 342: by Werner (new)

Werner Will do ASAP, Mary! (I'm assuming "hoitmail" is a typo for "hotmail"?) I've written your e-mail address down, so if you don't want it to be publicly available online (many people don't!), you might want to delete your post above.


message 343: by Werner (new)

Werner Mary, did you get the material I forwarded via e-mail?


message 344: by Barbara (new)

Barbara Hoyland (sema4dogz) | 2442 comments Mary, you do know that there is a copy of Layer Wood map in the Photos section at the top right hand corner of the Fans of Norah Lofts home page ? Its one of last pictures, on the third page of photos.


message 345: by Della (new)

Della | 4 comments Barbara wrote: "Mary, you do know that there is a copy of Layer Wood map in the Photos section at the top right hand corner of the Fans of Norah Lofts home page ? Its one of last pictures, on the third page of pho..."
Thank you so much! I just read all 7 pages of this thread, trying to get information about this map! I've been reading Norah Lofts books for at least 60 years (I'm 78) and so very often I have wished for a map.

I did glean that the librarian at Bluefield College had a map he would kindly send if we PM him. I just couldn't figure out how to PM him. LOL Did I mention I'm 78?

Now I can just click on the photo section here!

I wanted to thank you before I go there in case I can't ever find my way back!


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