Is it a map...? Is it a game....? Any ideas appreciated!

[meles]

Graph paper, yes.

Coloured inks, yes.

Not sure about that shade of blue, though...

meles

[clematised]

Lynne

I have just posted this story on the BBC gardening board with the URL to the thread just to see if the garden plan theory holds any water so may be a few people adding to the thread who are unfamiliar on rootschat

Edna

[Christopher]

Lynne

I have just posted this story on the BBC gardening board with the URL to the thread just to see if the garden plan theory holds any water so may be a few people adding to the thread who are unfamiliar on rootschat

Edna

Should we send queries to inventors of children's games too

[Paul Caswell]

Lynne

I have just posted this story on the BBC gardening board with the URL to the thread just to see if the garden plan theory holds any water so may be a few people adding to the thread who are unfamiliar on rootschat

Edna

Should we send queries to inventors of children's games too

And I'll try to find some entomologists .... 

Paul

[liverpool annie]

The Watts owned Speke Hall and its surrounding estate from 1795 - 1921 and were responsible for much of the building’s refurbishment
A substantial portion of their wealth came from sugar plantations on St George’s Plain in the West Indies

I wonder if Richard was doodling about planting the sugar ?? .... part calendar / part graph of planting  

http://www.rootschat.com/links/0456/

[Christopher]

It's just struck me ... could the cards be plans for the rooms in Speke Hall

The markings might show the positions of the family collection of antiques and furniture

[Rena]

I have tried to enhance the second pic with photoshop, but it is still too small and difficult to read.
It would be better for MissM to post the images in the photo restoration board at a larger size (it is allowed in there )

attached enhanced pic, just played with the contrast.

Margaret

Well done Margaret.  When I saw the original postings I thought my 11 Plus IQ test had come back to haunt me 

I'm pretty sure 2 or 3 squares south east of the crescent show the universal wavy blue water sign.  Does, or did, the garden have a lake.  If so, what do the little red squares signify - and they're not just in the water, they're all over the place, either in a square or beside another shape.  I'm wondering if it's a small scale plan of the gardens and the owner is thinking of placing some form of power on the estate.  Maybe a powered fountain in the lake and a powered gushing waterfall at one end of the lake.    As the Speke website doesn't show or describe much of the landscape I don't know if the large red squares denote other places that would require a power line such as the lodge, or a grotto, etc., etc.

Cheers,
Rena

[little meg]

I do not think it is a garden plan.
For one main reason - I would expect to see some kind of pathways if that were the case.
I know when I draw up plans for my yard the first thing that goes in are existing structures and pathways that will not be changed.

Looking forward to seeing the new photos and info.

Margaret

[MissM]

Hi all

I've spoken to the Archivist, Chris and she is getting permission for me to go in again and take the photos.  The National Trust are very careful who they let in to the non-public areas of their properties and very protective of their antiquities so I was very lucky to get in to see the archives.

I've been reading all your notes and have thought about the grounds around the Hall.  There is a small but lovely lake but no waterfall or fountain there.  In recent years the Trust has redeveloped an overgrown water garden but it is quite small and does have a path running through it.

There is space for a moat at the front of the building which is built in a square around a small courtyard with two mighty oak trees in, but I don't know if the moat was ever filled in because the channel isn't evident at the back and one side of the Hall has other buildings on it. 

If you search in Google maps for Speke Hall you can get a fairly recent bird's eye view of the Hall and it's current surrounding grounds.  Up until the 1920's the Hall owned the whole of the Speke Estate which is now full of houses and industry to the East of the Hall, including the Airport.

Regarding the cards themselves, I didn't notice any glue around the edge as you would expect to see so it didn't seem a casual effort.  I guess the colouring in could have been done by a child as suggested but the pencil (I think!) graph lines seemed very precisely drawn.  I will look more closely when I get back there and will take macro shots of the writing.

I might be able to get hold of a plan of the rooms when I next visit to see if Chris's idea is anywhere near the mark!

I'll keep you posted of any further developments and I'll post a few photos we've taken ourselves of the grounds and Hall.  Thanks so much for all your ideas!

Lynne