Old Wash House Studio - Ambleside
N 54° 25.977 W 002° 57.713
30U E 502472 N 6031694
The Old Wash House was converted into a studio and living accommodation by Josefina de Vasconcellos in the latter part of her life. The small house with lovely garden is now a holiday rental.
Waymark Code: WM9QZX
Location: North West England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 09/22/2010
Views: 7
Josefina de Vasconcellos was a sculptress who lived in Little Langdale with her husband Delmar Banner. After his death and now in her 80s she never returned to the Bield. The strain of looking after Delmar led to her total collapse. He was buried whilst she was in care. After a few false moves, she bought and changed the Old Wash House into a combined
small residence and studio where she could work on her art and renovate pieces. She was amongst friends here. Many owners of her statues were surprised to find her still alive and very willing to maintain her prior work.
After Josefina, Jill Aldersley, a Lakeland water colour artist, used this as her studio as well. Her obituary in the local paper, Westmorland Gazette, refers to "a tiny cottage off North Road". Visit Link
Josefina was against tourists buying property for holiday homes. Unfortunately this has happened to both her homes. The Bield in Little Langdale and The Old Wash House are both now for let to tourists. The original planning application to convert to dwelling and art studio was in July 1986.
"7/1986/5036 Alts & exts to form studio & facilities for sculptress The old wash-house peggy hill ambleside"
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and the planning application to upgrade to holiday let was in July 1998.
"7/1998/5634 Change from mixed dwellinghouse and artists studio to dwellinghouse The Old Wash House, Peggy Hill, Ambleside "
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Streetmap
OSGB NY377045
Further reading
Josefina de Vasconcellos HER LIFE AND ART by Margaret Lewis
and
Sculptor: Josefina De Vasconcellos by Linda Ann Clifford
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