They are bold statements of man's prowess, constructs that are more suggestive of a James Bond film set than cosy nests for your average 21st century nuclear family. And presumably that is the point. A cliffhanging life is its own adrenaline charge. Even cleaning the windows requires a certain abseiling facility, the ability to dangle with a mop and bucket. I hope the seabirds are friendly. And is that a diving-board on top of the 'house' below?
British cliffhanging, typically, is much less spectacular, pretty low-key by comparison. And yet the coastal erosion of our relatively soft sandstone headlands has already caused many a cliffhanging home owner on Devon's 'rivièra ' to bemoan the cost of living on the edge. There's a parable for that, not to mention insurance premiums.
Climate change and the associated global rise in sea-levels is only going to exacerbate the problem and many more clifftop houses that have stood proud for generations around Britain's coastline are likely to go tumbling down to the shore in the next few decades.
But enough of arrogance and gloom. Let me leave you with a new little poem that focuses on the positives:
Theia
divine madness in the moment
it's all about the letting go
as you fall so you rise
the sound of one cliff hanging
Thanks for reading, S ;-)
39 comments:
OMG those houses are insane! (Not the Devon one, obviously).
House nr.1 looks relatively normal compared to house nr.2 which is just bonkers...but ironically way safer than house nr.3! Fascinating stuff Steve.
They used to build the loos like that in the old days. At Warwick Castle you can look through the hole in the original seat where they sat and see the moat...no water there now and no droppings except for rabbit's.
If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room!
Fascinating. Loved the poem too. 👏
That's scary!
Considering that those houses don't provide any better view than they would if built on top of the cliff, rather than down the side of it, they read to me a demonstrations of human arrogance and ego. Just because you can do something, doesn't mean you necessarily should. e.g. nuclear bombs. Signed, Grouchy Old Woman.
ps love the poem.
No! I guess you have to own the cliff to put something like that on it. Just why?
An interesting experience in stormy weather (it can't be calm and sunny all year round). That's a very clever little poem.
I doubt it's a diving-board. How would you get back up again? That cliff looks sheer. It's an extravagance for sure, but wouldn't it be an interesting place as a writer's retreat for a week or two? 😏 Neat poem.
We've been to Sidmouth (folk festival) many times over the years and have noted various clifftop houses lose yards of garden year-on-year. Two of them finally had to be abandoned as they were gradually subsiding at the edge.
I like to keep well away from the edge! However I absolutely love your teasing Theia poem. ❤️
A fascinating read. I'd like to know how they even managed to build that second house hanging from the cliff-face. Extraordinary. I've always loved Grand Designs :)
NOW I'm feeling edgy! 🙂
Ostentatious builds! Not the English one, you've got to feel sorry for whoever lived in that one.
Well your blogs are always an inspiration. I loved your little Theia poem and it got me googling Theia. First up this: In Greek mythology, Theia (lit. 'divine', also rendered Thea or Thia), also called Euryphaessa "wide-shining", is one of the twelve Titans, the children of the earth goddess Gaia and the sky god Uranus. She is the Greek goddess of sight and vision, and by extension the goddess who endowed gold, silver and gems with their brilliance and intrinsic value. And then this: Theia is a hypothesized ancient planet in the early Solar System that, according to the giant-impact hypothesis, collided with the early Earth around 4.5 billion years ago, with some of the resulting ejected debris gathering to form the Moon. And finally this: Divine madness, also known as Theia Mania and crazy wisdom, refers to unconventional, outrageous, unexpected, or unpredictable behaviour linked to religious or spiritual pursuits. Examples of divine madness can be found in Hellenism, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sufism, and Shamanism. I'm staggered.
Piccy 1: If Magritte had been Australian. 😄 Loved the little poem.
I found this literal interpretation of the theme intriguing. As you say, the madness of architects and their clients. 😰
Jaw-dropping cliffhangers. I wouldn't mind a week-end at #2 though, looks like a great party house! And ooh, neat poem. 👍
If I had the money, I can think of many better things to do with it!
I feel sorry for the people who built their houses on sandstone cliffs (back in the 1930s by the look of that one). Does the erosion get classified as an 'act of God'? (Theia perhaps?)
That poem.❤️
Thanks everyone for the comments to date. And Mary Jane, I was alluding to the first (Greek goddess) and more specifically the third (Zen concept) of those Theia definitions in the poem. I didn't know it was also the name of the hypothetical planet that might have collided with Earth. That's interesting.
So sad to see those homes in the UK that are disappearing as cliffs collapse.
Ha ha ha, "the sound of one cliff hanging" - that's quite brilliant! 👏
They are like 21st century follies.
A very easy-goung and pleasant blog, Steve, with wonderful photos of these quirky houses.
I would NOT be renting one in an area subject to serious earthquakes!!
Incidentally, I LOVED the start of the film, Cliffhanger, with Sylvester Stallone.
That is not a film moment to miss.
I loved thecdrawingbaround your succinct verse.
Theia - love it. (She was a Greek goddess as well.)
I bet they're spectacular places in a storm! Clever little zen poem.
Those photos of the new houses are terrifying. Even the parking space makes me feel queasy.
As has been said - how did they build them.
it's all about the letting go
It does look like a bit of a power-trip on behalf of whoever had those Australian houses built. I'm sure that whoever owns the second one could afford to drive something bigger and better than a mini (LOL), or maybe that's the cleaner's car! Whatever, this was a diverting read and I enjoyed your gnostic poetry.👍
You've shed light on a world I never knew existed, crazy cliffhanging houses.
Trophy homes of the super-rich. It's almost an Icarus complex.
Eye-opening and jaw-dropping. Thanks for the vertigo! 😂
Way too edgy for me. I love the poem though.
But...the birds, the birds! 😂
This is where the House says to the Sea, "I'm falling for you." What a love story! Mind-boggling - poem to the point - kept me on the edge :)
beautiful thank you for sharing ❤️
OMG those houses! I love the poem - very clever.
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