White Cottage in Pentrobin"

White Cottage, Pentrobin, Buckley

July 1975

My grandmother lived in this cottage; she had no mains running water and used to have to walk down the lane to a water butt. In order to start the water running in the house she had to use some of the water from the butt to kick start the pump. She would then heat water on the open fire to have a wash etc. There was no electricity and there were oil lamps everywhere for lighting, until the 1970s when electricity was installed.

The floors were all stone, and cow muck had been used in the constuction of the walls. I remember James Bentley giving us a talk at Young Wives on how they did this (wattle and daub). There were two big fluffy feather beds and as kids we slept there in the eaves; it always smelt of apples that she used to collect under the eaves to ripen for the rest of the year.

The grate in the living room was listed: I think they have details in the Flintshire Record Office.

There wasn't a toilet in the house - it was an outside toilet in the garden.

Author: Commins, Barbara

White Cottage in Pentrobin"

White Cottage, Pentrobin, Buckley

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