Twentieth Century Engalnd

[Col. Aubrey Bagshot]

I've been meaning to start a thread for ages to post up some progress on a generic 20C scenery and terrain project. There's loads out there and on this esteemed forum, but it gets split up far more than most: NINE sections could all feature the same terrain! So because of this i think a lot of really usefull stuff goes missing. I know the search function works, but sometimes the very piece of information or spark of inspiration you actually need is hidden in the depths of a mahossive thread that you have NO general interest in.
Take silent Invaders thread: Wild Winter
http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=66620.0

Fantastic details and WIP shots of a truely epic ( but actually simple ) board. A bit like Captain Bloods old threads on board design and construction.
Inspirational stuff all round!

But unless you came across them, all those pearls of wisdom are hidden, so i guess the purpose of this thread is to try and make some 'generic' 20C scenery and buildings that could be used in the WIDEST possible range of games, and as i am based in glorious Devon ( as are quite a few members of this forum ) I want village/small town Devonian look and feel; NOT huge ruined cities or Gothic shrines etc etc..

So my requirements are a Devon Village from 1890 - near future:

1. Late Victorian/Turn of Century Empire of the dead
2. WW1( doubles as rural france ) Great War
3. Cthulhu Strange Aeons
4. VBCW The day went Well?
5. WW2 ( Doubles as rural Europe ) Bolt Action
6. WWW2 SotR
7. Cold War force on force
8. Modern Cthulhu/weird war Strange Aeons/homebrew
9. Modern Zombie Homebrew/legends
10. Near future warfare/zombie Tomorrows War/homebrew

Bare in mind that most Devon villages were untouched by WW1 and WW2 ( no bombing in the sticks ) and you begin to realise how little has actually changed during that target time frame.

So the list making started in earnest...... Both man made and natural

Structures
Church and Grave yard
Village square with memorial
Village shop or post office
Farmhouses
Farm yard
Small houses of different ages
Sheds
Small commercial building ( I've gone for an Abattoir )
Bridge ( over river )
Walls, fences and gates
Tarmac roads
Dirt roads

Natural
River
A Tor ( it IS Devon afterall! )
Trees
Woods
Hedges
Fields

All of the above would be scatter type terrian, all going on one of the excellent and now Out of production, GW Battlemats.
More later, but i would be interested to hear what else people think should be on a generic 20C gaming board?
Or even WHERE this tread should find a home?
( mods please move where you see fit! )

[Big Martin Back]

Sounds good. I agree you could get away with it for most of the C20th - although a WW1 memorial might date it to the 20s and later. Perhaps a phone box and pillar box would fit well.

[Col. Aubrey Bagshot]

The memorial was going to be of William of Orange ( stopped off for a pee on his way from Brixham to London ) if you know your english history.
So that gets out of that one.

As for scatter that dates it to a period, most of it  could be victorian, like the postbox, only the telephone box would narrow it down...

[Ballardian]

A small town square type fountain & horsetrough? (Sarissa do a decent one pretty cheap).

[gary42]

Be good for some 7TV spy-fi stuff too!

[Commander Vyper]

Pictures or it didn't happen! 


Glad to see you finally getting your scones in a row!

Anyway..... pictures

[Col. Aubrey Bagshot]

First few buildings about half way through being painted

Generic country church


Farmhouse


A barn


All mdf and chinchila dust! 

[Arlequín]

Where's the village squire going to live, or the local noble?  

*Edit* and indeed where is he going to gas up the Rolls, or his wastrel son get his roadster repaired?

[joroas]

You can date it by externals, road surfaces, road signs, advertising, phone boxes, vending machines and vehicles but, like my village, stone, timber-framed and thatched houses still exist. You could add the "new estate" for post WWII games.

Oh, you forgot the pub!!!!!!! 

[gary42]

Dude...  You forgot the pub...

[Arlequín]

I don't know how much use this will be to you, but there is an online collection of historical trade directories here, which cover most of England. They are a bit like old copies of the Yellow Pages, with extra bits. Not only does it give a wealth of historic information about MPs and JPs you might not really need, but it also lists inhabitants of towns and villages, as well as businesses.

It's a useful resource, however deep you want to dip into it. 

[Col. Aubrey Bagshot]

I don't know how much use this will be to you, but there is an online collection of historical trade directories here, which cover most of England. They are a bit like old copies of the Yellow Pages, with extra bits. Not only does it give a wealth of historic information about MPs and JPs you might not really need, but it also lists inhabitants of towns and villages, as well as businesses.

It's a useful resource, however deep you want to dip into it. 

Amazing! Things like this prove how usefull the internet can be, what a fantastic resource!

[Eric the Shed]

Love the barn - where is it from?

Great list - mirrors the one I put together for my Little England

Those loads of stuff - the postings on my shed wars blog in the last six months might help...

Everything from Churches, Pubs, Railways etc

 

[Arlequín]

Amazing! Things like this prove how usefull the internet can be, what a fantastic resource!

All things are relative. My old prof headed a project which involved his undergraduates poring through them to provide a detailed study of the changing face of Bridgnorth (Shropshire) over a couple of centuries. I'm infinitely acquainted with all the residents of St. Mary's street at various points in time and occasionally wake up soaked in sweat wondering what happened to widow Jones's kids when she lost the house back in 1870-something... another project involved using probate inventories, so you could actually see what they owned too. Fascinating stuff, providing you're not the one mining and crunching the data.
 


Nevertheless, armed with a contemporary street map and access to them, you can create a pretty detailed rendition of the real thing, or a somewhat generic 'neverwhere' to suit your needs. As you are no doubt aware, most places also tend to have old photos of buildings and streets nailed up inside them too, so short of a time machine it all combines to give you all you need to recreate it all. 

[Col. Aubrey Bagshot]

Ok, a quick update on some scatter terrain...


I'm using CD's and a really good foam-board type sheet material that i acquire form a sign makers.... I get their off cuts for nothing!
Great material, as its plastic but cuts almost like balsa wood...





First stage was to cut some rough shapes and add some 'bulk' to some with off cuts of blue foam and some cork rocks...




add some old trees... and then paint on a mix of PVA, sand and kids poster paint to make base colour










I also found that as the piant/PVA mix is nice and thick when slopped on, you can sprinkle some of the super fine Chinchilla dust onto when wet... Which adds a very nice fine surface texture