# Ramshaw Farm, Unstone Derbyshire, May 2019



## HughieD (May 17, 2019)

*1. The History*
Very little out there about this sweet little farm. All I could find is that it is referred to as “Ramshaw Farm” (of some 20 acres) and some info about its previous residence. In 1841 it was the residence of Hay Farmer Isaac Vickers and his wife Priscillia Marsden until the mid-1850s. It was the residence of William Wheatley between 1871 – 1901 with his wife Rosanna Hopkinson and their seven children. Beyond that I’m struggling.

*2. The Explore*
Not all explores are vacuous industrial spaces or epic power-station control rooms. Many explores are your run-of-the-mill farm derps like this one. Sometimes there aren’t endless things to photograph and sometimes you’ve got to use your imagination and work with what’s there and try and look at it from different angles. This place would have been a cosy, bustling farmhouse with the farmer and his wife in one of the two up-stairs room and their four or five kids crammed into the other room. This small and forlorn farmhouse would have witnessed the conception of children and the everyday living of the family - eating, sleeping and crowding round the fireplace in the depth of winter. They still deserve our attention even if they are along way off those racy, epic explores.

Spotted this place from the train a week-or-so before, so pinned it on Google Maps and when I had the chance, had a wander over there. It’s set in a beautiful location. It was pretty easy access and was a nice and relaxed half-an-hour mooch. The farm buildings are in decent-ish nick and have clearly been in use more recently than the farmhouse, which has lost its roof and the majority of its floors. Nothing spectacular by any means but a lovely setting and a place that hasn’t been done before.

*3. The Pictures*

Really beautiful setting for this place:


img0740 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img0741 by HughieDW, on Flickr

One of the several farm out-buildings:


img0742 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Looking a bit lop-sided:


img0744 by HughieDW, on Flickr
And another out-building, this time in better condition:


img0750 by HughieDW, on Flickr


Ramshaw 01 by HughieDW, on Flickr

This building looks like it was in use until fairly recently:


img0751 by HughieDW, on Flickr


Ramshaw 02 by HughieDW, on Flickr


Ramshaw 03 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Nice view:


img0756 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Obligatory old bath picture:


img0757 by HughieDW, on Flickr

An old horse trailer?


img0746 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img0748 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Front of house:


img0749 by HughieDW, on Flickr

And round the back:


img0759 by HughieDW, on Flickr


Ramshaw 04 by HughieDW, on Flickr

The farmyard, or what was:


Ramshaw 05 by HughieDW, on Flickr

The door’s just about still hanging:


img0773 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Inside it’s pretty far gone. This was the dining room:


img0764 by HughieDW, on Flickr

And range:


img0768 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img0769 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Think this was the kitchen:


img0771 by HughieDW, on Flickr


img0772 by HughieDW, on Flickr

And here’s the dining room:


Ramshaw 08 by HughieDW, on Flickr

And one of the bedroom’s fireplaces:


Ramshaw 07 by HughieDW, on Flickr


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## Sabtr (May 17, 2019)

Lovely spot beneath the trees that. 
Lots of decay but you can still see how simple their lives were back then. Sure they were poor but with that came less clutter. I could easily slip into that lifestyle..

Nice little report that. The decay looks lovely and colourful too.


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## HughieD (May 17, 2019)

Sausage said:


> Lovely spot beneath the trees that.
> Lots of decay but you can still see how simple their lives were back then. Sure they were poor but with that came less clutter. I could easily slip into that lifestyle..
> 
> Nice little report that. The decay looks lovely and colourful too.



Cheers Sausage. That's exactly what I was thinking while looking round this place. Today we are supposedly better off with a higher standard of living and more technology and gadgets but are we really happier than the simpler life people lived in these times?


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## BikinGlynn (May 18, 2019)

Love an old farm, & a nice cast support pole there.
Bet ya didnt go far into that barn lol


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## Dirus_Strictus (May 18, 2019)

Never look back to earlier times through 'Rose Tinted Glasses' - there is plenty written down about the horrendous times our ancestors lived through. Illness, infant mortality, famine, crop failures, the lists are endless and local Parish death rates are just appalling.


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## Mikeymutt (May 18, 2019)

You are spot on there mate..it's not always about the big sites as much as they are nice. It's often about these little places that get fforgotten and you have captured it wonderfully


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## smiler (May 18, 2019)

Dirus_Strictus said:


> Never look back to earlier times through 'Rose Tinted Glasses' - there is plenty written down about the horrendous times our ancestors lived through. Illness, infant mortality, famine, crop failures, the lists are endless and local Parish death rates are just appalling.



I agree, you and I have seen many illnesses that were prevalent in our infancy, IE polio, TB almost iradicated, it was a simpler way of life back then and we needed a lot less to be content, but I wouldn't won't to see kids wearing calipers or folks struggling to breathe again. 

Lovely set of pics Hughie I enjoyed it, Thanks


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## HughieD (May 19, 2019)

BikinGlynn said:


> Love an old farm, & a nice cast support pole there.
> Bet ya didnt go far into that barn lol



Ha ha, you're quite right there mate!



Mikeymutt said:


> You are spot on there mate..it's not always about the big sites as much as they are nice. It's often about these little places that get fforgotten and you have captured it wonderfully



Cheers Mikey. Much appreciated.



smiler said:


> Lovely set of pics Hughie I enjoyed it, Thanks



Thank you Smiler.


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