Welcome to the Village of Southwestishshire!

We’ll begin our tour at the Blue Lion Castle. According to historians the oldest parts of the castle date back to the 11th century. However, most of the castle we see today was constructed in Tudor times most pronounced in the architecture of the grand hall. The castle was privately owned until 2014 when it was taken over and renovated by the National Trust.

The next oldest building in town is the Red Dragon Inn. Account of the inn date back to the earliest days of the castle but much of its history has also been lost to time.

Following the inn the next oldest is the Red Door Pub built in 1606. Home of the driest ciders and don’t forget to stop in for an award-winning breakfast cooked with eggs laid by the pub hens.

Our tour of historic Southwestishshire ends at the church. The current version is actually the 3rd, after the building was completed burned down in 1456 and 1785. Construction of the current version was completed in 1788 with a 15-brick tall spire. The bell tower was converted to a clock tower by the Victorians in the 1860s.

The rest of the town building are more modern. Traveling from east to west we start at Castle Side Green, the county’s premiere flower shop, owned and operated by Mr. Banks. Along the lane is the Pink Madam, a small candy shop and private resident.

Our next stop is the service station. Originally a Victorian warehouse it was converted into a garage after the Second World War. The shop is currently run by father and son, Brian and Jim. Next door is Lions Keep perhaps the most controversial building in the village. Constructed in 1923 the building stands 3 stores or 27 bricks tall, not huge by modern standards, not even the tallest building in town. But because of its proximity to the church clocktower and only standing 6 bricks shorter it blocked the clock for the west side of the village! Thanks to this incident we now have zoning laws to protect sight lines. Currently the building is occupied by Fred’s Fish and Chips with Sheila’s Blooming Boutique upstairs.

East of the town center is the Yarn House containing the fresh food market selling local produce and brand name products. Followed by two residential builds, Hedge Hog Lodge and the Blue House, ironically less blue than its neighbor the Yarn House. The last building in town before the tunnel is the Sleepy Sheep Place. Often thought of as the brightest building in town because of its distinctive yellow colour. Here we’ll find Penelope’s pharmacy and drug store for all your medical needs.

Other land marks in town are the village square where the common folk would go to listen to their lord or priests from the high balcony. More gruesomely the square is also where hangings took place. Nowadays the square is used for Christmas celebrations and the town favorite market day, held from June 1-8. However most the year the square only acts as an extension to the red door pub. Up the medieval stairs from town square is a statue of John Smith (1547-1613), a reported wizard in his time. But most known for his skilled and professional medical practice. John saved many villages lives through his long career. Smith is also a distant relative of many village locals including Penelope of Penelope’s pharmacy.

The highest point in town is Mad Cow Hill. Atop the hill sits the west tower, converted into a cell tower in the 1990's, and the Williamson tree reported to be over 500 years old

The last stop on our tour is the village grave yard. Some say on a cold summer night you can feel the presence of the departed…

And if that doesn't suit your fancy a local band is playing today!

That about wraps up our tour of Southwestishshire thank you for visiting we hope you enjoyed your stay.

Spoiler

Builder's notes:

The name Southwestishshire is derived from the american southwest, my home. The build took place over 4 weeks between December and January using approximately 25,000 pieces. The intent was to build a castle but it turned into a cute little modern village. More pictures can be found on my flickr. Hope you enjoyed!

 

Edited February 8, 20205 yr by cactus america
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That looks very nice. Lots of details!

Love this! It Looks a bit like the set:  1592 Town Tquare!

Great Work!

Greetings!

Most impressive. A nice blend of old an new.

Very nice!! I like the different levels and the mix of old and new (just like a real town). I also enjoyed the detailed backstory/history you've made up for it (that's what I try to do with my town!!)

Thanks for sharing... looking forward to seeing more!

I like all the angles and levels you have. The worn steps leading to the gate and church/castle are great.