# Home farm Elvaston castle March 2009



## The Pirate (Mar 3, 2009)

In it`s day (can`t find when it was biult) this farm fed and maintained Elvaston castle and my mum who lived a short part of her life in the castle remembers having to go to the farm to fetch milk and eggs for the main house ..

Now it sits empty and fast running down but with still plenty of life in it..

In the barns there are loads and loads of old "bit`s" that i believe are part of the old working estate museum that the council couldn`t be bothered to keep running..

Here is a quote from a recent residents and friends of elvaston castle meeting 


> As for the museum artefacts, she said that council staff had been carrying out the "mammoth" task of identifying, numbering, boxing up and inputting original documents of more than 12,000 items for the past five years.
> 
> She said, "We're now at the stage where we are matching up documents with artefacts and trying to find suitable homes. Where items can be placed in museums, they will be, preferably in museums which have a local connection. For items not placed in museums, we will look to return them to their original owners." Derbyshire County Council has consistently said it cannot afford to restore it or run it and is therefore awarding a 99-year lease to Highgate Sanctuary, but the people who oppose the decision say that it was not the best, or only, option to secure its future. They highlighted the continued popularity of the castle and gardens, with a record number of people visiting in 2003.



I can`t actually find when the farm stopped being lived in either ...

Anyway

The farmhouse itself..







Wit this fantastically shaped tree outside that must have taken years to make grow like that....And the second stoy window that my dog took a running jump out of !!! (wooops)






The barns






All origional electric fixtures in the house are still intact...even light bulbs in the lights !!











I found this to be really amazing to be still there...






The bathroom wallpaper was shocking but they even left soap in both the bath and the sink !!





















But it was the barns that kept me interested for over an hour...

I remembered as a kid that these wagons were on display in the castles forecourts and always wondered what became of them...seems they were just left to rot in this barn 











With what i believe to be an old washing machine....






And then ont more barns and sheds....


























This wicker basket was MASSIVE...way too big for a picnic !






My fellow explorers for the day....if you are interested it was the white dog that jumped out of the window...No he didn`t hurt himself and actually went back for another go untill one of the kids grabbed him !






It`s a great little house and would still make a really nice home with a little work..if i thought that i could afford it and the council would sell it i`d do my best to buy the place...

Thanx for looking

Agghhh


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## smileysal (Mar 3, 2009)

Excellent pics mate, I was only reading about this last night. 

Home Farm had been restored by the Harrington Family and had been a working farm until shortly before the County Council took over the running of the Park.

Here's a link to Friends of Elvaston Castle.

http://www.friendsofelvaston.co.uk/ruins.htm

Loads of info about it and a gallery on there too. Plus news on the council selling the castle and grounds to a developer who wants to turn it into a hotel, and have two golf courses on site. :icon_evil

Cheers,

 Sal


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## The Pirate (Mar 3, 2009)

Yeah that sites where i got my quote from 

TBH they have been selling it since i was at school ....long long ago 

I don`t think selling it per se is a bad thing but they just need to make the public still has access to it when they do.

When i was at school a school mate of mines dad was going to buy it but dropped out because he wasn`t allowed to make it completely private.


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## Foxylady (Mar 3, 2009)

Wow, such wonderful things! That sink brought back memories. I once lived in a fantastic huge flat that was part of a manor house (even had massive marble fireplaces) and there was a sink in the bedroom just like that...except it was an 'orrible greeny colour. 
Fabulous place, TP. Cheers.


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## thompski (Mar 3, 2009)

Foxylady said:


> Wow, such wonderful things! That sink brought back memories. I once lived in a fantastic huge flat that was part of a manor house (even had massive marble fireplaces) and there was a sink in the bedroom just like that...except it was an 'orrible greeny colour.
> Fabulous place, TP. Cheers.



I think you mean avocado foxy


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## Foxylady (Mar 3, 2009)

thompski said:


> I think you mean avocado foxy



No, it was a much earlier colour than that...a 1930's style pale sicky green.


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## Lightbuoy (Mar 4, 2009)

Excellent set of pics the :jimlad:!

The contrast between the sink and that "flowery" wallpaper shouldn't work, but somewho it does!

Those old Waggons are a real find!

Ta for sharing with us,


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