Where might this be?

[Nick_Ips]

Thanks Ruskie, sorry, I don't mean to demolish your arguments, my initial thoughts were somewhere in Europe too, it was only when I started looking closer, especially at the 'army uniform' that I thought UK was perhaps more likely.

I think by 1918, except where slate was the predominant roofing material, clay tiles would have displaced thatch in many places where clay was either available, or tiles could be imported easily. The East coast (especially Norfolk and Suffolk) were early importers of tiles from Holland.

But looking at the riverbanks in the painting I think they had a very good supply of rich red clay on hand for making their own roof tiles 

[Treetotal]

My first impression was of France...the dress has a Breton feel...but don't be swayed...There maybe a mix of elements in the painting not necessarily from the same scene...just my thoughts...it's a really charming study...I too thought the man was a soldier...he looks to be carrying something on his back.
Carol

[Nick_Ips]

cristeen, did the painter have any military service themselves?

If the soldier theory is correct it is an interesting composition to put them in uniform in an otherwise civilian setting... I wonder if it is a self-portrait of the painter with his wife and child? Possibly not in 1918 itself, but painted in that year based on memories from an earlier period of leave?

Obviously not the case if the painter was female, unless she is the woman pictured?

[arthurk]

If I have the right chap, the 1911 census has Charles Herbert Steavenson as a mining engineer aged 44, living with his family in Gateshead. Towards the very end of WW1 men as old as 50 were being enlisted, so he might just have been serving abroad. Cristeen, if you're there, do you know anything about that? (Like Nick_Ips has just said.)

[Nick_Ips]

...and mining engineers were very much in demand in the trenches, tunelling to construct shelters and explosive 'mines' such as those around Ovillers-la-Boisselle. Not impossible for somone older to have 'volunteered' for their technical skills rather than for hand-to-hand fighting.

[Treetotal]

Just did a levels adjustment to see the detail better. Hope it helps.
Carol

[cristeen]

Hello everyone, wow, so many responses. Thank you all for your interest
arthurk, you have the right man. As far as I am aware he was not on active service, he was a mining engineer/ manager. He was also an amateur photographer so could have painted this from either a photo or sketches. We have several old glass plate negatives of his but none similar to the painting. Charles Herbert was my father in law's grandfather. F-in-L has recently acquired several paintings & sketches from a distant relative and was told this painting was Silverdale. There are family connections to that area but the scenery doesn't seem right to me for Silverdale, a predominantly limestone area.
We haven't taken the painting out of it's modern frame, only got it last night, there may be something on the back to help, he has written on some of the sketches
Carol, thanks, a poor photo of mine, trying to reduce glare from the glass!

[Ruskie]

Thanks Ruskie, sorry, I don't mean to demolish your arguments, my initial thoughts were somewhere in Europe too, it was only when I started looking closer, especially at the 'army uniform' that I thought UK was perhaps more likely.

No that's all fine Nick.  It's interesting to hear about everyone else's observations.

[Nick_Ips]

With Carol's adjustment the hat now does look more like a helmet, and I'm now more confident that is a gun behind the right shoulder of the man.