Ye Olde Naked Man Cafe (1663 etc)

click photo to enlarge

This is the second photograph of Ye Olde Naked Man Cafe in Settle, North Yorkshire, that I have posted on PhotoReflect. But, whereas the earlier one was a detail taken well after sunset, this one was photographed as I walked by with some evening light still illuminating the clouds. It's a building I've known all my life, and one that has intrigued me ever since I studied architectural history.

The building has been a cafe and bakery for many years. I seem to recall that part of it was once a flower shop. I imagine that today the upper rooms are either storage or flats, but, it clearly wasn't always so. The taller, leftmost section was obviously built as a house, and from its symmetry and quoins is either of eighteenth or early nineteenth century century vintage, or is a refacing of an earlier building: probably not the latter due to its height. The lower range on the right was, no doubt, two houses of the date (1663) carved on the figurative datestone that gives the building its name. Also on the datestone are the letters "I C". These are probably the initials of the first owner who had the house/s built. The lower height of the buildings and the stone mullions in two of the upstairs windows (as well as the datestone itself) all point to a structure of the seventeenth century. However, it has clearly been "modernised" in the eighteenth and/or nineteenth centuries. The upper windows have been regularised and probably admit more light than they originally did. Both shop windows are likely to be nineteenth century additions that replaced smaller openings, and the rendering and black and white paint will also be a finish that supplanted the original rubbed mortar over stone.

The charm of this particular building is not only its memorable name, one that draws the eyes of all who pass it by, but also its colour and the architectural contribution that it makes to the small town's market place. The fact that the subdued facade doesn't feature garish modern advertising is both surprising and pleasing. I took this photograph as a record of the building, but also for the fine sky and the atmosphere and blue-tinged shadow that the low light of the fast disappearing day gave to the scene.

photograph & text (c) T. Boughen

Camera: Lumix LX3
Mode: Aperture Priority
Focal Length: 5.1mm (24mm/35mm equiv.)
F No: f2.8
Shutter Speed: 1/500
ISO: 125
Exposure Compensation: -1.0 EV
Image Stabilisation: On

Ye Olde Naked Man Cafe

click photo to enlarge
Ever since I moved from near the bustling Fylde Coast of the north west of England to a village in rural Lincolnshire, my output of early morning, early evening and night-time photographs has declined. It was never high, but it has reduced to the point where I've been feeling that I must do something about it. Consequently, when I found myself in Settle, North Yorkshire, in early September, the time when the fun fair arrives and sets up in the market place for a fortnight, I felt that I might be able to do something to rectify my night-time drought.

So, with the best of intentions I went after dark to photograph the fair attracted by the prospect of capturing the coloured lights, the people enjoying themselves, the garish amusement arcades, etc. However, when I arrived I found I was too late and it had closed down for the night! What to do? Looking round the dark centre of the small town I saw three glowing pools of light on the facade of Ye Olde Naked Man Cafe, and so I seized the moment and made this image. There are only two things that this photograph offers the viewer: the contrast between the small illuminated areas and the surrounding darkness, and that very unusual name! I've known this cafe for almost all my life, and it has always had this name. I was led to believe that it comes from the figure on the datestone of 1663 that can be seen on the lower range of the building to the right of this facade. However, when you look at it carefully - as I did when young - you can imagine that the man is not naked, but is clothed in a pair of shorts that he is holding up to protect his modesty! As a child I was also told that at the dead of night, when his absence would not be noticed, the olde naked man walked up the hill to the nearby village of Langcliffe to a building of a similar age (1660) that features a naked woman! What happened next I'll leave to your imagination.

Had I been thinking about posts for this blog rather than securing night-time images I'd have photographed Ye Olde Naked Man Cafe during daylight, and also snapped a photograph of the naked woman when I was in Langcliffe, the better to illustrate my story. But I didn't! However, here is someone else's shot of the cafe, and here's a sketch of the naked woman (who also looks clothed)!

photograph & text (c) T. Boughen

Camera: Lumix LX3
Mode: Aperture Priority
Focal Length: 5.1mm (24mm/35mm equiv.)
F No: f2
Shutter Speed: 1/30
ISO: 400
Exposure Compensation: -0.33 EV
Image Stabilisation: On