Our House: 150-year old Honley cottage home

Dec 1 2009 Huddersfield Daily Examiner

HE grew up used to village life with homes that spoke volumes of their past.

Lee Berry loved the idea of home with beams and a big old fireplace, so his luck came in when doing a deal on another house left him the proud owner of a 150-year-old cottage.

The 34-year-old said: “At the time I was waiting for a new house to be built in Birkby.

“I was selling my house to a couple, but they needed to sell theirs.

“Another couple wanted to buy their house so I bought their home to complete the chain and was paid the difference.

“Part exchanges are becoming more commonplace now and can be a great way of keeping the market moving.”

The grade II listed cottage Lee bought was in an older part of Honley, near to homes built in the 1700s.

Lee grew up in nearby villages and was aware of the superb character many of the properties had.

“As soon as I saw it I thought this was the kind of house I’d always wanted to live in.

“It had the kind of character I loved with all the great features.

“When I was a kid, my house had a proper fireplace – again something I’d always wanted – and this house had a fantastic one in the lounge.”

The two-bedroom cottage, set within a quaint courtyard setting in Hall Ing, is believed to be around 150 years old.

Lee, who owns a barber’s shop in Hade Edge, says: “It is very old and unlike the other homes I have lived in which have been more modern.

“But I have always had an interest in older properties and the shop I own has quite an interesting history.

“It was originally built as a chapel around 150 years ago and still has the original arched windows.

“It’s quite small as there weren’t many people living in the village at the time.”

Lee’s cottage is full of original features, which were not made the most of until the previous owners stepped in.

Lee said: “The couple did quite a bit of work to bring out the features of the cottage.

“They took the flooring up and exposed the stonework and really brought out the feature of the fireplace, which I believe had been covered over.

“They did a great job and the features show it off to effect.”

With its inglenook fireplace creating a cosy ambiance complete with beams and mullion window, the lounge is without doubt one of the cottage’s greatest assets.