Richmond Cottage & Te Henui

23rd September 2017. Richmond Cottage.

The mission last Saturday was to sketch Richmond cottage. It has a new roof. Twenty thousand cedar roof tiles applied by specialist roofers, (I think from Canada). Unfortunately I was the only sketcher to show up, but I did my bit for the team! It was a nice day, but a bit cold, so I finished this one at home.

Here is my sketch:

Pen, wash and watercolour.
I liked the juxtaposition of the old, Richmond Cottage, against the new, Puke Ariki air Bridge, with this one.

Richmond Cottage

The old and the new with Richmond Cottage and a corner of Puke Ariki facade. The palm was fun to draw.

Richmond Cottage

Views of Richmond Cottage.

Richmond Cottage

I found this interesting back door to the cottage, had a thought it might be the door to the wine cellar. So while waiting for it to open, might as well sketch it, sad to say the door never opened.

Richmond Cottage, Puke Ariki.

Richmond Cottage

Built in 1853-54 for Christopher and Emily (nee Atkinson) Richmond, the cottage originally overlooked the foreshore near the present Richmond Estate apartments. In 1960 the cottage was dismantled stone by stone and moved to its present site. In 1963 it was re-opened by Howard Parris Richmond, who was born in the cottage in 1878. The garden is a recreation of a typical colonial environment separated by the picket fence from the native bush backdrop. Story boards in the building tell the story of the Atkinson and Richmond families and their contribution to Taranaki and New Zealand history.

I was quite taken with the shingle roofing tiles on this historic cottage. Every single one was different. I decided not to attempt the whole cottage, but to focus on the roof.

Here is my sketch:

Richmond Cottage

Built in 1853 by a well known known New Plymouth family, this house was perched on the edge of the sea.  Later it was relocated, stone by stone to its present location incongruously tucked in against the Puke Ariki Museum.  A private and pleasant garden sits behind it from where I sketched.