If the traditional thatched roofs and mullioned windows of the picturesque English country cottage have piqued your curiosity about their interiors, open the doors, come inside, and look! Their clever and imaginative owners have found so many delightful ways to retain that old-fashioned charm while not at all sacrificing modern comfort. In Cornwall, little staircase windows in thick cob walls display a selection of 19th-century bottles. A Devon home still has a log-burning stove. The washhouse of an Oakhurst cottage allows a glimpse of another century. The fruits of a countrywide search, from Berwick-upon-Tweed to the Lizard peninsula, all these cottages show both those quirky imperfections and beguiling architectural details that reveal poignant reminders of past generations.
