In 1690, George Ley, teacher and "overseer to the poor" in Combe Martin, had gambling success at the card table, and decided to commemorate his good luck by building a house representing a pack of cards. It must have been a big win to be able to build this place.
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| Want to join me for a pint at the Pack? |
It was built on a plot of land measuring
52ft x 52ft (52 cards in a pack), has 4 floors (4 suits in a
pack), 13 doors on every floor and 13 fireplaces (13 cards
in a suit), and prior to window tax the panes of glass in all the
windows added up to the total of the numbered cards in a pack.
It's now listed as a Grade II Ancient Monument.
For more about my trip to England, scroll down to the previous posts.
Me thinks I recognise this here hostelry! :)
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing thing to do! I LOVE when people get these huge ideas that are seemingly impossible to pull off--and then They DO pull them off!!!! And this was obviously really thought out carefully, in every respect...!
ReplyDeleteStayed there for a night once.
ReplyDelete:) At first - thank you for those colours of your site`s background, it has been raining cats and dogs the whole night and still do. I am of course happy it`s raining not snowing though :)
ReplyDeleteI looked at your earlier Scotland posts and felt like being there again, thank you for memories.
I believe you have to get eyes also on your back with twins soon and it will last next 10 years :)
Strange looking building but I love the history.
ReplyDeleteNow that's fascinating.
ReplyDeleteI guess he had a lot of time on his hands to figure all of that out.
Is Combe Martin in England Shammickite? A very interesting building - Dave
ReplyDeleteNow that is downriight fun, Sham. Such cleverness...is fit for a museum!
ReplyDelete