7 Wellesley Cottages

 

Location: 7 Wellesley Cottages

Date photo taken: 6 March 2022

Stumbling across the Wellesley Cottages is akin to suddenly finding yourself in Narnia. That might seem a little extreme but hear me out. The way to the cottages is not obvious. True, there is a small street sign denoting Wellesley Cottages on Wellesley east of Parliament which marks the entranceway, but only the truly curious or those with some prior knowledge are likely to be lured in. It's just an access after all, but at the end sits a little laneway out of time, containing seven 19th century cottages. A small detached building like this one sits at either end of the lane, in between which sit a row of 5 adjoining workers cottages. Originally approximately 400 square feet each, they housed carpenters, labourers, a clerk and a tinsmith. Now they generally boast modern interiors with carefully disguised extensions, and list for what you'd expect a house in this affluent neighbourhood to fetch. This one, No. 7 is particularly interesting. Not so very long ago, it seemed out of place on the street. It sat alone at the end, small like its neighbours, but covered in wooden shingles and lacking the distinctive steep gable over the door. One publication referred to it as "an unkempt runt of a building". A renovation around 2010 that significantly extended the living space also returned the facade to its previous historic appearance. Thanks to Google streetview, 2009 view, you can see the difference for yourself.