Corner Farm, Wettenhall, 1968

This photograph was a farewell snap taken by Keith on his return from Australia. The stock had been sold following Horace’s death. The higher ground visible on the distant horizon is High Billinge Ho on the Mid-Cheshire Ridge (between Utkinton, Cotebrook and Willington).

Note the bolt-boss above the left- hand ground floor window of the house. Steel rods had been inserted into the house frame along major beams to prevent it from further outward bulging. It is very hard to estimate when the house was built but much of the brickwork is likely to stem from around 1830 (contemporary with the nearby church). In places, the brick may be a veneer over a ‘black and white’ timber structure.

At left is the Old Shippon which had 18 cow tyings. The loft above it was a favourite hang-out for the kids. In the Autumn, when there were fallers in the apple orchard shown on the right of the photograph, battles would be organized with some kids throwing apples up into the loft and others throwing back down into the orchard. Being hit in the face with an apple was no fun. Bike races in and out of the shippons would also be initiated at times, leading to some horrendous spills (and particular tears from Margaret Baker when her mother’s bike was damaged).

The tree in the foreground is a damson tree – Meg used to make excellent damson jam and on one occasion made some very palatable damson wine / port [the damson or damascene plum was reputedly brought back to England from Damascus in Syria by the Crusaders in the 12th Century – along with cats, chemistry and algebra).

The low stone wall immediately in front of the left side of the house (overshadowed by lilacs) was built by Horace using sandstone blocks from the race of the Old Mill on the stretch of Wettenhall Brook that ran through the farm. At left in the foreground one can dimly see the right-hand side of the last beagle hound that we ‘ran’ for the Beagle Hunt. Her name was Vision.

The orchard had a pretty weird variety of old-fashioned apples and pears, together with some hazelnut stands. There had originally been a pit standing opposite the shippon to facilitate swilling out but this had been largely filled in by the time we came to live at the farm. In the garden, between the orchard and the house we had gooseberries, red currants, raspberries, strawberries and a wide range of veggies.