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HWW from Anstruther

A house dating from 1692 located in the Scottish fishing village Anstruther, has become known for its shell decorated facade.

It is a creation made by Alex Batchelor who lived in the Victorian era. He was a slater and a plasterer, who probably in the 1840s was active in this project. The locals considered Batchelor as somewhat eccentric, not in the least since he also had made a shell decorated coffin and was willing to let people take a look at it after paying some pennies. There is a story that the show included that for an extra penny he would lay down in the coffin.

The shells decorating the wall include scallops, dog whelks, edible whelks, limpets and a few mussels. I think it requires some attention as there are some blank spaces, but considering the situation, on a sharp bend on a busy road, it is in remarkable condition.
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25 comments

Marije Aguillo said:

Preciosa pared. En Galicia (España), también se encuentran casas con paredes cubiertas de vieiras u otras conchas. HWW.
12 months ago ( translate )

Joe, Son of the Rock said:

A lovely photograph on many different levels, Amelia: the tight composition works well to show: the beauty of the artistry, the textures and colours without the distraction of the surroundings; the effectiveness of contrast between shapes, textures and colours. This is an image in which an analogous colour scheme achieves a sense of perfection. On a personal level, it evokes pleasant memories of many pleasant trips to this area. I have photographed this scene many times and I take a wide-angle shot to show the shell house in its environment and I zoom in for the close-up. Both shots worked well. To borrow a phrase from marketing parlance, at this location, you get two for the price of one.
12 months ago

Amelia replied to Joe, Son of the Rock:

Yes - your photos of Anstruther, and the Kingdom in general are exceptional, Joe.
12 months ago

Roger (Grisly) said:

Painstaking workmanship but a lovely finish in this excellent capture Amelia
I have seen similar in Cornwall, HWW !
12 months ago

Diana Australis said:

I love this, Amelia. The painstaking work of this is exquisite. It is also very durable, it would seem.
It manages to escape the tawdry and kirsch of many shell-based artefacts. Thank you for the picture and the history of the building. Have a lovely day, Diana
12 months ago

Rosalyn Hilborne said:

Not only does it look very pretty but it's great recycling Amelia.
Thank goodness for eccentrics :-)
Thanks for the interesting information.
12 months ago

TOZ said:

Wow a lot of work in that Amelia.
Have a great day.
TOZ
12 months ago

Xata said:

Not so many missing... HWW Amelia
12 months ago ( translate )

Stephan Fey said:

Wow, this is gorgeous, Amelia. Somebody really put some effort into this! HWW!
12 months ago

©UdoSm said:

Very well made and captured...
12 months ago ( translate )

tiabunna said:

A marvellous find and a very impressive wall indeed, Amelia. Great background information too. HWW.
12 months ago ( translate )

Peter_Private_Box said:

Hi Amelia
A wonderful and interesting picture, which I like very much!
Very nice composition
Best Wishes, HWW, and stay safe!!
Peter
12 months ago

Nick Weall said:

HWW Dear LGM ~ what a labour of love. Very creative and a good way to protect against the weather ~~~
12 months ago

volker_hmbg said:

Great idea (of the owners) and nice photo, Amelia!
12 months ago

LotharW said:

Was für eine tolle Arbeit steck da drinnen... ***
12 months ago ( translate )