Congratulations to Ben Stevens, aged 9, who wins a £10 Book Token for his entry in the 500 Word Writing Challenge.
Thanks so much Ben for your thoughtful and colourful writing and asking the questions many people ask about the cottage and what life must have been like for the people who once lived and worked there. Just like Ben they are fascinated to visit the cottage but often start the long walk back feeling pleased that they have a warm, comfy home near the shops to return to! And like Ben we’d all miss our WIFI!!
Here is Ben’s story…….
Strolling on the Exmoor moors on a freezing November day I pulled my coat over my shoulders just as an icy gust of wind hit my body and it started to pour with rain. In my rush to find shelter I stumbled across a ruined house that looked extremely old. It was a wreckage and had clearly been through a lot of things. Although it was a ruined house I still managed o find a small place to shelter in it. When the rain started slowing down I began to investigate the house. There were only a few rooms so not many people could stay at a time. I wondered how many people have ever lived here? I certainly wouldn’t like to live here in this old house on the moors which had no WIFI. /also, there were no shops nearby so you would have to walk miles to buy food or get to school. There were many sheep around me happily grazing on the luscious grass around the cottage or being nursed by their mothers. You could see their warm wool on the ground where they had last been.
On cold and snowy days what would the people who lived here do with no heating? Would they just cuddle up in a warm blanket? It would be freezing cold with no place to go to keep warm for miles. You must have been very poor to live here, no neighbours or people who know you nearby, with no friends to play with, no school nearby to go to, it would e a life for a very poor family. You would get very lonely out here with no one to play with you except your brothers and sisters. It would also get very boring after having to walk miles for food and drink every day. As I was wondering about all of these things I took my coat and my jumper off to the boiling hot blaze of sun that came out. The dark misty rain clouds had finally gone away so I was free to walk home. As I was walking home I could the lush grass and everything bright and clear. I was glad to be walking home to a warm house in the town close to my friends unlike Hoar Oak Cottage!
The End!
