When I did a recent talk about photography to the Farndale WI one of their members mentioned a farm restoration project she was undertaking high on the North York moors. I was intrigued by the circumstances. A farm house and outbuildings that were ‘something out of the fifties‘, a new owner with limited financial resources and who, in any case, had no plans to gentrify the property but simply to make it liveable.
A massive project, being done single handedly – now that’s interesting!
I asked the owner if I might visit and take some photos, perhaps we could look at commiting to some regular documentation (for the records – future book perhaps?) I was delighted when I was invited along and indeed now we have a plan for me to visit every month or so.
All that I’d been told by WI members who had visited previously was true. The farm and out buildings are in a poor state and much needs to be done – it’s a huge job. The previous tenant had not invested in it, knowing probably they would be leaving. In any case there is no doubt they had struggled in recent years, like many other hill farmers, to make a decent living.
The new owner said she had been told she was foolhardy, crazy and, perhaps more kindly, ‘brave’ by friends and family. Talking to her I can see why people say that – it is a monumental undertaking but I think ‘why not?‘ She only has herself to answer to and clearly relishes a challenge – she has a ten year plan. Is that realistic – who knows and really, does it even matter? A retirement spent working hard physically, in a beautiful, peaceful spot doesn’t sound that bad to me. Of course there are few creature comforts at the moment, for example there’s no running water, but that clearly is not something that worries the farms latest custodian.
And custodian is the way she describes herself when we talked about the project. Showing me photos of the farm in its heyday, when it did generate a handsome profit for the farmer (they even had servants) there is something of a blueprint to aim for. Undoing some of the damage that inappropriate building techniques (cement mortar of course) and repairing/ replacing the weather-worn will keep her busy for some time to come but it will slowly, slowly begin to regain its integrity. The estate that sold the farm were keen that it would not become a top end holiday complex, as has happened elsewhere. Instead they approved of the plans to simply restore – and, if indeed it takes ten years, fifteen, or more … then that’s OK.
I’m not giving away the location or the new owner’s details but they are happy that I post photos here for the occasional visitor coming to my photography website. Buildings are not something I have much experience photographing so it’s all a bit experimental – do I take them and show as is or perhaps go for something more creative/ moody? Not sure yet.
It will evolve and that’s fine – there’s plenty of time!
Some conventional shots. You can see the beautiful Yorkshire sandstone in the piggaries but in need to re-mortaring with lime mortar instead of the disastrous cement.
A few in black and white:
And then inspired by the work of another photographer (Marleen Neumann) whom I recently came across, the following are desaturated and cooler – perhaps pointing the viewer in the emotional direction that the neglected buildings might engender.
