Those of you who enjoyed my blogs of 3rd October and 12th October 2013 about a Tumbledown Cottage at Willersley in Herefordshire may like to visit a major new feature on the same topic just uploaded onto my website at www.jlb2011.co.uk/specials/index.htm
This new webpage expands on the content of my earlier blogs, and includes the results of the extensive research I’ve conducted over the past few weeks. The story now traces the history of the cottage and its occupants over the past 200 years.
If you are able to add any more to this intriguing story I’d love to hear from you.
John Ball's Blog from Brecon 
Bravo, John! My mind is a whirr with the fascinating history of The Old Crow Cottage. You deserve a Pulitzer Prize for investigative journalism!! Can’t wait for the next installment. Did you attend the funeral of David Penny, thus connecting to family members with more to add to your story? BTW, I noticed that donations for a cat charity was listed for those who wanted to honor D. Penny’s loss. Question: Is it possible that David was outside looking for a cat, that may have strayed across the road and the lorry driver swerved to miss it, thus killing David and smashing into his car?
Fascinating account of this cottage…we have travelled past this for the past 7 years from Swansea on way to visiting son and family who live around Hereford and have always fondly referred to it as my cottage….we have seen smoke coming from inside and assumed some1 must have a tarpauline erected inside….I have often photographed the cottage over the years in its decline…we were so surprised to see just this weekend that the property had been sold..I am gutted if I had known about the auction I would have gone along….i will be keeping a watchful eye as to what the restoration will be like….Thankyou for the insight….
Dear Ann,
Many thanks for your comments about The Old Crow cottage at Willersley. I wonder if any of your photographs of the cottage pre-date my first one (2007)? If so, I’d be most interested in seeing it.
I lived in Swansea when I first moved to South Wales in 1974 to work at Morriston Hospital. My (then) wife and I bought a house on the Gwernfadog Estate, Cwmrhydyceirw, close to the hospital.
Kind regards
John
Hi John…we were visiting our family last weekend and of course passed….my cottage….some work has been started mainly tidying area…I could only get a fleeting photo as we drove by as there always seems to be drivers too close for us to stop outside!
Hi John…ironically we seem to have passed The Cottage the same day(5th July) There is now a large blue tarparlin covering the roof! This may have been the last time that I see any progress as my son whom we visit in Docklow moves abroad next month to work! I look forward to your updates and hope that it will be tastefully restored as on plan.Thanks Ann Messer