Kinver Edge Rock Houses
Last week, Mark and I drove to the Midlands for an artists’ conference (more on that soon). It was to be a 3 hour drive, but we left early enough to squeeze in a few interesting stops. The first are these unique rock houses at Kinver Edge!
I had never heard of these, but we are currently National Trust members, so whenever we are driving anywhere new, we take a quick search at what National Trust properties might be open nearby. They can be beautiful stops, but if nothing else they usually have clean bathrooms and a tea room! When we spotted these rock houses on the map, we knew they were worth a quick stop.
One of the more unique National Trust properties we’ve visited so far, the Rock Houses are a bit of a mystery. The earliest record of people living there are from either 1617 or 1777 depending on which article you read, but likely, people were living in these carved out dwellings much longer. The cliffs are soft red sandstone and it is quite amazing to see what people were able to carve out for these homes. They are so smooth on the inside.
At least 11 families were still living in the houses by 1861. And families were living in them until the 1960s when they were finally abandoned and left to deteriorate and unfortunately be vandalized. The National Trust began restoring them in the 1990s using photographs. I found this article on the BBC especially interesting to see some of the old photographs and read more of the history. The National Trust has guides on site talking about the history as well as a few info boards too.
Only a couple of them have been restored to look like the original homes. Others have been left as they are, stripped bare and a fascinating reality of what they would have been like to start turning into a home. Quite the serious DIY project!
The chimneys bricked right into the cliff edges were the most clever thing. There is something so charming about the way they made the houses look charming and cottage-like, even as they were literally caves on the inside.
This one below is restored from the outside, but is currently home to a colony of bats on the inside so it is closed to view. Bats are of course protected in the UK, so they are the new permanent residents!
The upper level has been restored into a tea room. In the early 1900s, there was a very popular tramway taking visitors to surrounding towns. The Rock Houses residents took the opportunity to make money and served tea as a stop along the way. It is quite the jarring full house on top of the other Rock Houses, but an interesting piece of the history and a nice spot for refreshment after walking up the Kinver Edge trail. Especially with unrestored cave rooms right next door!
The view living on Kinver Edge must have been incredible too. I found the history of lifespan for people living up here to be one of the most interesting bits. During the Industrial Revolution, most people were lucky to live into their 50s; but the residents of the Rock Houses tended to make it into their 80s! Fresh water, gravity handling their sewage, gardens and orchards, fresh air… all this contributed greatly to their quality of life. And yet, articles talk about their being a reputation of shame for those living up there. How odd societies are.
One of my favorite features of National Trust properties is there is often a little secondhand bookshop. I found a book I’ve been wanting to read for £2!
I also made a little friend while having a little treat. The cheekiest little robin I’ve met yet. He even took a nibble of a crumb from my fingers!
That was stop 1 of our little road trip. Back soon with the next…