Introducing the Second Attic Level

Proposed layout for 2nd level attic.

For some reason, we don't have a plan of the current layout of the second attic level, although it's not really needed, as essentially it's a room on each side of the house. On the western side there are two small windows in the gable (the proposed plan to the right is therefore incorrect as it only shows one). The chimney goes through the middle of this room and there's a smoker, of sorts, still present, with greasy streaks down the front of it. The flooring here is in pretty good condition, despite the local Marder (not sure if it's a weasel, pine martin or what, but it's something stoaty) using it as a larder and toilet. Well, it seems to bring pilfered eggs up here, and shits all over the property.

Western room on 2nd level of attic.

Apex on the Western end.

The boards forming boxes were clearly used for storage, but we're not sure what yet. An old electricity cable has been severed, presumably when the supply switched from being overhead cable to underground, not so long ago. The additional beams (which are clearly not original), to the left of the photo above, were likely there to support a pylon that went out through the roof. Just about visible in the background on the right are the next set of steps up to the final level in the apex. It's long and narrow, with a shuttered opening (no glass) at the very tip of the gable. There's not enough room up here to make a proper room, so we plan on opening it up to the floor below, perhaps with a small gallery for a bed or something.

Between this and the eastern room is a half-timbered wattle and daub wall, with one panel removed providing a kind of crawl space. Both sides have stairs up, so it's not exactly essential.

Eastern room on 2nd level of attic.

View towards Eastern gable and barn.

The eastern room is more or less a mirror of the other room. There's a chimney, though without a smoker box, and there's a chance this will be removed completely. The current plan is to open the floor of this room into the proposed bedroom below, leaving half of the floorspace as a gallery. The more I think about it, the less I'm sure why, other than it looking nice. The current proposal includes adding a small spiral staircase out in the hall area of the level below to get up to the gallery, but I'm not sure if it makes sense. We'll see.
The light in here is always nice and warm, probably because the small windows look out onto the roof of the barn, so terracotta light is reflected back in

These rooms will most likely be the last to be completed, although the western room may end up being my home office, depending if we can afford to convert the Schweinestall (pig sty).