The Old Vicarage B&B, Little Ouse

Hallway – Upstairs

There is a half-landing that leads to what were the servants quarters. There is also a back staircase they would have used through the gothic arch of the half-landing.

The staircases are one of the last areas to be completed, due to the fact that all material needed to go or down them for the renovation. As with the rest of the house, everything was taken down to bare brick.

A view of the top landing in the main part of the house. The floor has just been waxed. The banister is still in the process of being restored. It has had several coats of paint removed.

  • From the top landing to the middle landing. The stairs are in the process of being prepared for waxing. They have had several layers of paint removed from the sides. You can still see the mark where a carpet runner must have gone up the centre.
  • The banister has has the majority of paint removed, still work in progress.

Looking from the half-landing into the man hall. Stripping the last of the paint from the banister.

  • The single glazed skylight has been removed and moved to the top landing to make easier access.
  • While the new roof was being installed, full block insulation was placed between the tiles and the ceiling in the vaulted sections of the roof.
  • There is a rather large single glazed skylight at the highest point in the stairwell. This has been removed when the new roof was installed and a triple glazed Velux has been inserted on this side of the beam, far easier for maintenance.
  • You can see water damage to the walls on the left and also above the arch. the footplate of the house was removed and a new one put in as well as all the lead steps in the butterfly roof and a new roof put on. This will solve the problems for another one hundred and fifty years.

Several changes – can be noted:

  • Stud wall through the arch was taken down to make way for a new door to the upstairs study.
  • Linen closet doors, top right on the landing have been removed, this is now a wall and the additional space is used in the master ensuite. Those doors have been repurposed as single closet doors in the yellow and green rooms.