Did a load of laundry in this very nice "cottage" but it took well over an hour. Machine just kept running and running forever. The Brits often have front loading washers in their kitchens but either hang their clothes up outdoors or use one of those hanging racks. Mine are all hanging on rack because we expected rain today, but it turned out to just be partly cloudy. Tomorrow is supposed to be 70% rain, but in afternoon. Monday is 80%, Tuesday is 40%, Wednesday is 80%, and Thursday is 70%. I leave Friday morning, so after the laundry was done, i hopped in my rental car and headed out to a medieval bridge that was rebuilt in 1717 by George Duck, who I believe is my 7th great-grandfather. Turns out that he did not do this to preserve an important historical item but because the River Esk split his farm, and he wanted a bridge to use to access the other side from his home. Only small animal-drawn wagons to go over it anyway, because it is only 5' wide! After I took some photos, I did some wandering in my car around the Moors and found a gas station to fill tank about 15 miles away.
Have finally figured out how to use the stove, wall plugs, and the two different kinds of hot water radiators upstairs and downstairs. (Bedroom and bath are upstairs, living space and kitchen downstairs in my little cottage which used to be part of a barn!) Even the shower is tricky, as to take a shower, you have to pull a cord hanging from the ceiling to turn on the continuous hot water heater and make the water come out of the shower sprayer.
The wall-mounted, hot water heaters are more modern than the old type, but are difficult because they are programmed with a timer, and I have had a devil of a time resetting the temperature. Owner is very helpful, however, and there are instruction sheets, but they assume some knowledge of how UK things work. Go to this page and scroll down to Snowdrop Cottage, which is where I am.
https://www.churchhousefarmyorkshire.co ... ttages.phpThe farm lane runs through the property, and there are barns on the other side of the tiny road. Someone else owns the barns and the farmlands, and raises cattle. Right now the owner has a field full of young heifers who moo loudly at about 5 pm because they want to be fed! After that, all is quiet. Go back to the Home Page and click on Gallery to see photos of the farm and the area--really beautiful!! My 2nd great grandfather worked on this farm at the time he married my 2nd great-grandmother! The owner knows a person who has done research on the farms in the area and gave me a contact number to call him.