Smohain

As regular viewers know, I've been working on the northeast part of the battlefield in recent months.  During the Christmas period I had the chance to place the buildings onto the diorama and work on the scenery.

The buildings are made by my father.  Where they exist today, the models are based on extant structures, but much research has been done into Belgian building types of the 1815 period.

Here are some images:

Frischermont, Smohain and the farm of La Haye in the distance.

Smohain village with the Chateau of Frischermont to the South.  The chateau will be placed on higher ground with the walled garden and Frischermont wood in-between it at the village.

Frischermont

The tower at Frischermont collapsed in the mid 19th Century but was a major landmark of the battlefield hitherto.

La Haye looking west

La Haye Farm looking East, with a battalion of Nassauers in defence.  The Grenadier company can be seen in the foreground.

Some experimentation with contrasting light levels

The building with a spire suggests a church but no such building is marked on any contemporary map - was it a schoolhouse?

The Lasne brook was nothing more than a ditch in 1815 and no longer exists today (at least within Smohain).  I'm yet to put water in it.

Still a lot of work to hide glue and resolve other snags but I like the natural light.

A lot of buildings still need their bases better integrated with the ground.

Smohain Buildings Update

My father has made great progress with the buildings for Smohain.  Our system is numbered in accordance with this map:

Building No 1 is nowadays called the Three Ducks restaurant:

Building No 2 is the left hand dwelling as you enter the gate of this large complex:

Building No 3 is set further back in the same courtyard:

Building No 4 is in the same cluster along the front of the road:

The model shows the reverse side:

Building 4a shows a wall extending from Building 4, rising to a small barn:

Building No 5 sits at the road junction:

The model shows the reverse side:

Next to No 5 sits a smaller shed at 5a:

Building No 6 is the mysterious church or school house:

Building No 7 sits further to the North:

 

Building No 8 is a large dwelling:

No 8 has a smaller dwelling at right angles to its western end:

Building 9 is a farm with a gated courtyard.  The gate is under construction.

This building sits behind and at right angles:

Building No 10 is not yet built and no longer exists on Google Earth.

Building No 11 no longer exists on Google Earth:

Building No 12 is a farm:

Building No 13 is a long series of cottages:

Building No 14 no longer exists on Google Earth and is not yet built.