# Whitehouse Farm Cottages (somewhere in Suffolk)



## hamishsfriend (Jun 17, 2011)

When in the 1960s supermarkets replaced the network of small independent retailers, many farmers were forced to think of other ways to make a living. Some sold their dairy herds and turned their pastures into arable land, others concentrated on growing fruits, vegetables or mushrooms. Many sold their now redundant barns to developers who converted them into dwellings or holiday lets. 

At the same time, the work of farm labourers was gradually taken over by machinery that required one man only to operate and could accomplish the job far quicker. With the farm workers having been made redundant, the cottages they used to live in, provided for them by the farm, were frequently done up and put on the market, but by far not all of them. It never ceases to amaze me just how many farm labourers' cottages were left to rot. One farmer explained to me that he did not wish to have people living on his land who in all probability would know nothing about farming and only cause problems. Instead, he'd kocked out some of the walls and kept calves in the downstairs rooms until the building became too unstable even for cattle. 

The two semi-detached cottages at Whitehouse Farm appear to have stood empty ever since the workers and their families have moved out. The surrounding barns and sheds have since been converted into pricey accommodation. The farmhouse is still standing and the farmer is still farming the surrounding land.







In order to make sure that no squatters would be able to gain access, every window and door has been sealed, not with plywood boards but with very sturdy sheets of steel that are held in place by nuts and bolts and by a steel bar placed diagonally across on the inside. Some of the corrugated sheets covering the upstairs windows have fallen off, as have many of the roof tiles.











The following pictures were taken inside one of the pair of cottages, the other was inaccessible. The interior layout is that of a typical farm cottage, with fireplaces providing the heating, wall cupboards offering storage space, and a narrow wooden staircase leading to the upstairs rooms. Debris from the collapsed chimney stack and from the decaying roof and floorboards is littering the floor.
















A later extension housed the bathroom and an indoors toilet ...











... and the only furniture left in the building, an armchair and a matching sofa.






Interestingly, there is a subterranean room in one corner, with a short ladder leading down to it, and a gate in front. I am guessing that this area would have been used to store food before fridges and freezers became common commodities. 






We observed several layers of wallpaper still clinging onto the kitchen wall.











The steps leading upstairs are still accessible, thanks to the roof above having retained its tiles but the upstairs floors have rotted and collapsed.


























Wattle and daub walls separated the rooms but upstairs mainly the empty frames remain. The arrangement of small timbers (wattle) formed the matrix to support a mud-based filling (daub). The thin secondary timbers (withies) are nailed to, tied or woven around the upright posts (staves) and the wet daub was then applied from both sides by hand, and pressed into and around the wattle. Once dried and hardened it would have been lime plastered or lime washed.











Visited with *wagg20* - many thanks for sharing this find.


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## podman (Jun 17, 2011)

nice find and interesting pics

Good to see some Suffolk places on the site

thanks


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## hamishsfriend (Jun 17, 2011)

podman said:


> nice find and interesting pics Good to see some Suffolk places on the site thanks



Thanks, glad you enjoyed. I do have a few more locations in Suffolk lined up for posting.


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## eggbox (Jun 17, 2011)

hamishsfriend said:


> Thanks, glad you enjoyed. I do have a few more locations in Suffolk lined up for posting.



I knew three great candidates, but two are now being done up and I need to check the other one.


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## hamishsfriend (Jun 17, 2011)

eggbox said:


> I knew three great candidates, but two are now being done up and I need to check the other one.



Good luck! I've already photographed my current candidates so can post pics at my leisure.


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## Foxylady (Jun 18, 2011)

This is really nice. I love the way you tell a good story with the history, info and excellent pics. The wallpaper remains are fab.
Cheers.


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## hamishsfriend (Jun 18, 2011)

Foxylady said:


> This is really nice. I love the way you tell a good story with the history, info and excellent pics. The wallpaper remains are fab. Cheers.



Thank you for your nice comments.  I love these places. Although they might well look very much the same to many they are all individuals.


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## Black Shuck (Jun 18, 2011)

Nice work young Hamish!!, I had a look at this a couple of weeks back now. Unfortunaltely Sciatica prevailed as I tried to lift my leg up.!! Loving the peely wallpaper and bath.


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## hamishsfriend (Jun 18, 2011)

Black Shuck said:


> Nice work young Hamish!!, I had a look at this a couple of weeks back now. Unfortunaltely Sciatica prevailed as I tried to lift my leg up.!! Loving the peely wallpaper and bath.



Thank you. I'll be keeping an eye on it. Maybe something (ideally the door) falls off at the other end so that it is possible to have a look around in there as well.


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