# Vimy Ridge Farm, Kinoulton, Notts.



## Kaputnik (Aug 4, 2009)

85Vintage suggested a visit here a while back, so we added it to a list of Notts, explores on a recent sunday outing.

Formerly known as Pasture Hill farm, Vimy Ridge Farm was renamed by sir Jesse William Hind, who planted 184 Lombardy poplar trees on the lane up to the farm, reminiscent of the poplar lined avenues of northern france, dedicated to the memory of his son, Lt. Francis Montague Hind, who was wounded in Gallipoli in 1915 and died aged 23 during the battle of the Somme, on the 27th Sept, 1916, and also to the memory of the 183 other members of the Sherwood Forresters regiment 9th battalion, who were killed between 7th July, and 30th November 1916 (the beginning and end dates ot the battalion's involvement in the battle)

The farm was re-named by sir Jesse shortly after he purchased it it 1919, and was used to train ex-servicemen in agriculture after their return from the war, and later, to train orphan boys to help them find employment.

Kinoulton parish council commisioned the re-planting of the poplar trees as part of the year 2000 millenium celebrations, as the original trees had become unsafe. the replanting being done in stages, as the trees nearer the road are already noticably more established than those at the farmhouse end.

the roofless ruins of the original house are in a bad state and have seen fire damage at some stage, other add-ons and a large concrete framed more modern structure, and concrete water tower confuse the old layout further, a very weathered looking type 22 brick shuttered pillbox was lurking close by too!

the farmhouse viewed from the water tower, some of the original felled poplar trunks can be seen across the track from the house. 






the nearby pillbox










The track now lined by replanted poplars, the ones at this end being planted much more recently than those at the road end





some of the water tower's residents 





85Vintage will hopefully have more photo's of the place than i got,
thanks for looking.


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## Neosea (Aug 4, 2009)

Nice find


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## 85 Vintage (Aug 4, 2009)

Good write up and pics mate 

Was a nice walk to the place and good to get up the tower

From inside the pillbox










There wasn't much left of or in the house but got a few pics










There were the remains of 2 beds that had fallen through from the upper floor, makes me wonder what else was left before the fire.































Can see from this pic, that at some point a plaster board wall was put up. I only noticed it because I thought it was that as the support only went to the window ledge, you'd be able to look round the wall





Views from the tower

Mick on his way up 




















Roof structure of the tower, seemed a bit of a mess of beams, but can see from the exterior pic of the tower that the part of the roof that covers the stairway goes through/is part of the conical shaped roof of the tower











Finally, on the way back down the track





Where's the pic of our new friends mick?


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## mexico75 (Aug 4, 2009)

That water tower is really cool, like that a lot. Shame the farms legacy couldn't live on though as some sort of training school


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## Kaputnik (Aug 4, 2009)

85 Vintage said:


> Where's the pic of our new friends mick?



you must mean this pair.....





far friendlier than the llamas in the same field, who were very 'stand-offish' and wouldn't come over for a fuss!

The flashearth link below shows the lane when it was still lined with mature poplars, (to the right /NE of the farm house)
http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=52.874535&lon=-1.009681&z=15.9&r=0&src=msl


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## Random (Aug 5, 2009)

That's a nice story, thanks for sharing. Fair play to Sir Jesse.


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## possessed (Nov 20, 2009)

Epic!
Ive always wondered whats up that tower, thanks for posting those images


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## Kaputnik (Nov 20, 2009)

Do you live around that area, Possesed? oh, and welcome to the forum


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## possessed (Nov 21, 2009)

Kaputnik said:


> Do you live around that area, Possesed? oh, and welcome to the forum


Not far I guess, just a few miles
Im thinking of giving that tower a climb, is the ladder sturdy?
Ive been to the bottom of the tower and the ladder seems tough, but I dont want 
to endanger myself too much.


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