The Lemp House in Tavistock

On Saturday my husband and I struck out for a day of touring and driving. It was Doors Open Oxford and we had a couple of errands to do as well. We started our Doors Open tour in Tavistock at the Lemp House, a delightful labour of love over the last 25 years or so by the owners. Set back from the road the house is shaded by lovely trees which soften the impression of the intricate woodwork, the 'gingerbread' some call it. I wasn't the only one jockeying for a good shot.

Inside we were met by Dan, the owner and craftsman who had lovingly worked on this home. He hasn't kept it totally to its original state--that was impossible--but has done some wonderful things all the same. There is a cupboard in the sitting room which he made that totally matches its surroundings. Here is the upstairs hall banister with its original intricate carving. Fantastic.

Looking down to the lower floor you can see the newel post at the bottom. This is in perfect pristine condition just as it was when the house was built about 125 years ago. Amazingly not even a coat of varnish was needed in the restoration, the lady of the house told us.

In the front 'parlour' lovely carved door trim caught our attention and Dan told us that he and some friends had copied the original on the right below to make the one over the door on the left, a door which had been added before he took possession of the house. He wanted to make it match, so added the woodwork. As you can see there is little difference.

Also in the parlour I noticed the intricate inlaid floor made of different woods to accentuate the design and the lovely roll top desk which perfectly fit in the room.

We felt especially privileged to see inside this house as it is a private dwelling and not generally open to the public. This is one of the wonderful things about the Doors Open project. In two weeks we may do some more of this as we take in the London Doors Open events. Meanwhile I have a few more pics to post in the coming days.