Marc-James Mews Description
The term Mews was chosen to describe this property,
because of its striking similarity to residences that we enjoyed
on a trip to London in October 2000.
The building in Bellingham was originally designed as a simple, low-profile six-plex.
The unique placement of the doors opening onto a long, narrow "alley"
mimic the lovely coziness of a London mews.Mews is chiefly a British term, referring to a certain type of stabling with living quarters.
The term is both singular ("a mews house") and plural, and
is used primarily in London and in some parts of Canada.The term comes from the French muer and Latin mutare (to change),
originally applied in French to the moulting of a hawk or falcon,
and then to the caging of the bird.
Mews entered the English language, because of the King's Mews at Charing Cross,
where the royal hawks were kept, starting in 1377.
The name remained when it became the royal stables, starting in 1537.
The old Royal Mews was demolished in the early 19th Century,
and Trafalgar Square was built on the site.
The present Royal Mews was then built in the grounds of Buckingham Palace.In today's lexicon a mews applies to particular housing
which began life as relatively humble buildings for coaches and coachmen,
but have developed cachet of their own, and
have often evolved into sumptuous homes.
However, because of the original intent of these buildings, they are located in side streets,
and are only seen by those making a determined effort to do so.We are pleased that you are making a determined effort to visit our mews.
For more reading about mews housing, we suggest
Mews Style, by Sebastian Deckker, 1998, ISBN 1 899163 39 5.