Kannur: Centuries-old British era cookhouse is all set to be renovated

Kannur: A 117-year old outdoor cookhouse built by the Britishers way back in 1903, as an annexe to the District Agricultural-Farm Rest House, in Karimbam near Talipparamba, in Kannur district of Kerala, is all set to be renovated.

Kannur: A 117-year old outdoor cookhouse built by the Britishers way back in 1903, as an annexe to the District Agricultural-Farm Rest House, in Karimbam near Talipparamba in Kannur district of Kerala will be renovated soon.

In 1903, Madras Presidency deputed Dr Charles Alfred Barber, an agricultural scientist to Talipparamba Agricultural farm. It was Dr Charles who built the rest house and the cookhouse here.

The open cookhouse includes two small rooms which are a kitchen and a storeroom. The design of the kitchen is in such a way that five firewood stoves could be operated at a time. With the high chimneys, there would not have been any smoke at all in the kitchen, while cooking.

Though the roof has become dilapidated over the years, the old chimney and walls built with laterite stones remain intact.

Based on the thought that it is highly necessary to retain such age-old constructions, at least for the new generations to explore them, it has been decided to carry out the renovation here.

In the last year, the agricultural farm was renovated at a cost of Rs 35 lakhs.

The farm authorities said that the plan is to protect and maintain the old cookhouse also, along with the farm and retain its erstwhile glory.

The District Panchayath decides to entrust the renovation works of the kitchen and the cookhouse with the Kerala State Nirmithi Kendra. Earlier, the Nirmithi Kendra had carried out the Horse stable renovation here.