Burgage Building

This house always catches my eye when I am in town. It seems to face the wrong way, in a rather anarchic way, which appeals to me.

No 42 Upperkirkgate is an early C18th building which faces gable end on to the street. This is because of the medieval 'burgage' system, where houses were built narrow end on with a long plot of ground for growing fruit and vegetables behind. The house would originally have been entered by a 'pend' (alley) or by its former garden at the side.

Interestingly, you can often spot older buildings or previous ground plans by buildings that don't line up with the rest, are the wrong size or seem to have the wrong side facing you.

This drawing is also my first experiment with conte pencil, which I rather like.

Conté pencils are a drawing medium composed of compressed powdered graphite or charcoal mixed with a wax or clay base. They were invented in 1795 by Nicolas-Jacques Conté, who created the combination of clay and graphite in response to the shortage of graphite caused by the Napoleonic Wars (the British naval blockade of France prevented imports). (info from Wikipedia)