WCP171

[1]

Parkstone, Dorset.

Nov^r. 11th 1901

My dear Will

Ma will have told you¹ that the purchase of the land is now practically settled, and I can go on road-making & fencing & gardening at once. I send you herewith a tracing of upper floor plan^1.1. The walls are to go only 3 feet above top floor line, and the bits cut off the rooms at the sides are where the roof will slope below 6 feet, but all this space will make cupboards.

Carter’s head builder was here yesterday & we had a long talk & decided many things for comfort & economy. He is going to have [2] made a set of preliminary designs showing plans more fully & an elevation of each of the 4 fronts. These we can criticise, & then they will make the final working drawings. As to which house is to be sold will not, I think, be decided by us, but by the getting a purchaser by ‘Xmas or Lady day.

I have had enquiries about Nutwood² & expect a definite offer this week but as yet no enquiries about this. However I shall put a big board up here "FOR SALE" in a day or two, & then we shall see.

I also send you a rough tracing of 25 inch ordnance showing [3] our ground and the access from the Poole & Broadstone Road. It is the old road to the orchard & cottage and is mostly quite passable, & with a firm bottom, whereas anywhere else across the field is very rough, up & down, & often soft peaty earth which would cost lots of money to make ^into a road, and as it is only temporary that is out of the question. For carting or cycling from Poole or Parkstone it will be better than going further up the road towards Broadstone, & it is rather a pretty bit of the field. I have been there again today & shall go tomorrow, to see about the road, & to order 2 gates which I have designed on proper principles. Almost all the gates about here are made by men who do not understand even elementary mechanics [4] and the gates all droop, or pull themselves to pieces. Every time I go to the spot I enjoy it more & more, & there are endless possibilities of a picturesque wild garden.

Supposing that after ‘Xmas ^{or about February,} your firm’s work is slack, you might offer to take a 3 or 4 months holiday, & go back to them directly they wanted you, & then you could look after the work at "Ellerslie," for though Carter is going to let me have a young chap— the builder’s son— as clerk of the works, there would be plenty for you to do & to look after also. However perhaps that may not be. I have adopted all the little alterations you suggested, as I probably should have done if I had redrawn the plans, & a few others of the same sort. All who have seen the plans so far think them very nice.

Your affectionate Pa | A. R. Wallace [signature]