The House On Burnaby

Devil Spit

What better way to clear my head after a house-ridden few days (Eve passed her stomach bug to me so, yea…that was fun!) then to spend a beautiful Summer evening creeping around the grounds of yet another abandoned house? I have been itching to get out with my camera all through Eve’s recent bout of sicknesses and hospital visits. I love how I can escape when I’m looking through a camera lens…it’s the same kind of feeling I get when I’m engrossed in a great book, but mix it up with a bit of trespassing and it’s a buzz.

It's Been Awhile

This house is one I pass quite often when I’m out walking. The area of Greystones it’s in is called The Burnaby and is the old, leafy and expensive part of town. A lot of the Burnaby looks like it’s being reclaimed by nature…grass grows through the tarmac of the pavements and the branches of the trees hang low around your head, but behind the gates the houses are all pristine. Then you come across this house and it’s like it’s just been forgotten. My guess would be that the elderly occupant died and either didn’t have any living relatives or there is a problem with the will so meanwhile the house is quickly becoming a ruin. Maybe Neil can shed some light on it for me.

Verandah

The driveway is nearly gone and the back of the house is completely blocked off by a wall of nettles and brambles. At one stage I had to stop walking because I was afraid I might find a garden pond by stepping in it. I came out covered in what we used to call Devil’s Spit, it was everywhere and you can see it in the first photograph.

Escape

I love these old houses, I can’t resist them. I’d love to do a photography project documenting more of them.

Overgrown

A few more on Flickr. I actually have some Black and White ones too but they’re for tomorrow :)

9 Responses to "The House On Burnaby"

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  1. John of Dublin

    June 7, 2007 at 1:18 pm

    Very nice series Claire. You got some great subjects. I love the blue door with the cobwebs and the shooting angle makes it really creepy. Well done.

    I hope you are feeling better.

  2. Matt

    June 7, 2007 at 1:40 pm

    I don’t know how you do it, but I love the angles you use when you take your photos. You did it in the ones you took of me, too. Whenever I try to tilt the camera to the side to make something look more “interesting”, it ends up looking like I was about to fall over when I took the photo.

  3. aquaasho

    June 7, 2007 at 2:03 pm

    They’re gorgeous Claire, love the one of the white bench. You’re so talented!

  4. neil

    June 7, 2007 at 7:14 pm

    I sure can shed some light on it, but it may not be the kind of light you want shed. It’s not abandoned.

    There is a woman who lives there with a lot of the usual surrounding rumours and stories.

  5. gingerpixel

    June 7, 2007 at 7:38 pm

    No way!! Has anyone seen her in awhile because it sure was quiet and there was a ton of letters in the porch? Now I’m even more intrigued!

  6. neil

    June 7, 2007 at 9:34 pm

    it always is quiet, but thinking about it I haven’t seen her in maybe a month or so (not that that’s abnormal)

  7. omaniblog

    June 7, 2007 at 11:54 pm

    Wonderfully atmospheric edgy shots. For some reason they reminded me of a Stephen King novel.
    Until Neil chipped in, I was thinking about the man in London who moved into an empty property and camped there for years and eventually got squatters rights. Now, he’s living in a shed worth millions. Ever thought of moving out of your house into a deserted one, in the hope of owning it one day?
    Thanks again.

  8. david

    November 12, 2007 at 5:41 pm

    i am a neighbour of this lady and she is still there. it is believed that problems between the family have meant that she is living in the house alone and will not be sold as her brother is in dispute with the will that her parents left behind them. the lady may appear a little strange but she is a nice lady – for a while there were many windows getting broken on the house, possibly from local youths thinking it was an abandoned house or maybe would-be buyers!

  9. gingerpixel

    November 14, 2007 at 1:00 am

    Thanks for the insight David, I’ve never met or seen the lady that lives here but the house itself is so beautiful I’ve been intrigued to find out more about her.