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Bugbrooke Northamptonshire

By the time I started the walk the sky, althought bright, was looking grey. Someone else had my clouds so minimising sky content was a priority.			There was a footpath fingerboard pointing at this sign covered gate. There were also a couple of rottweilers bouncing off it but by the time I set up the shot they had gone. I considered the possibilty that they had backed off to take a run up so I left the arguments about rights of way to the Ramblers.
Anyone who names a boat after my favourite software gets into the final edit.			Mark Pope posted a similar shot some time back and I told him of my intention to steal it at the first opportunity, which I promptly did. Being a Pope he forgave me* so when I saw this I stole it again. Thanks Mark. * I stole his joke too :-)
The approach to this old farmhouse belies its run down state. The meadow in front of the house was a mixture of colourful wild flowers and grasses.			Closer inspection showed that time was taking its toll.
Even though it is structurally a mess it is a great setting.			A peek through the windows revealed signs of family life. A few personal items and a boxed game of solitaire. I decided against going in because I was off the footpath and I never trespass in pursuit of a shot.
A weather vane so fancy/heavy that it was not trusted to the roof.			I alway worried about bumping into the local hunt with only b&w film loaded but now that hunting with hounds is banned this is probably the closest I will get to a hunt scene.
You may already know that my fund of local knowledge has made me a legend. I identified the house as that of the Littliff family. Impressed? I was helped in my research by a name on the gate :-) Unless Littliff happens to be the name of a gate manufacturer. * * *See footnote			Okay, I lied about never tresspassing but I couldn't not enter when I saw this window. The Littliffs didn't just leave a few Corona bottles and personal effects, they also left the view shown below. Click on it for a larger version.
I can offer no indentification of this plant but it is obviously a suckulent. I had always thought that the fruit was imported from somewhere in the far east but we apparently grow them from seed .			I imagine this sign is to amuse rather than inform. It is about as useful as a notice that reads 'Don't Throw Stones At This Notice'. Made me smile anyway.

* * * Since posting this I have received three emails from people with first hand knowledge of Litliff Farm. The first was dated September 23rd 2007:

Dear Graham,

Just a line re Littliff farm, Bugbrooke.

Built between 1420 and 1700 Littliff was originally a preachers residence. Expanded over the next two hundered years Littliff was a coach stop (the road is now under farm land) and more laterly a farm with over 150 acres. Mixed farming until the early 20th century and primarily dairy farming until the late 1970's. Rendered uninhabitable by fire in 1986, Littliff was sold in portions until the buildings and remaining land-around 6 acres-was sold in 2006.

The farm was owned until 2006 by the Gilkes family, and I spent my childhood there during the 1970's and 80's. In it's prime, Littliff was a magical place to spend time. Rich with history and reputedly haunted Littliff occupies an idealic position, and a place in the hearts of all who ever visited.

I am glad you too found Littliff. I hope my e-mail is of interest. The pictures have captured Littlif well and I wish you success in your career.

Yours sincerely

Clark J Gilkes

 

The second email was dated January 4th 2008:

I came across your photos on the internet and thought you might like to know
a little about Littliff Farm! The name Littliff was that of the farm, not
the gate manufacturer, nor the family that lived there. The family name was
in fact Gilkes and I am one of their many grandchildren. The farm
unfortunately has lain in a derelict state for quite some years -approx 20-
after a house fire (caused, it is believed, by washing drying over the range
cooker in the kitchen). It is now no longer owned by my Grandmother (my
Grandfather passed away some 14.5 years ago). It was sold during the early
part of 2007 and I believe is for sale again now. The history of the place
is fascinating, and it was a wonderful place to spend weekends and school
holidays while it was still a working farm!

Sally Chamberlain

 

The thirdemail was dated January 12th 2008:

Dear Graham

I was directed to your photographs of Littliff Farm by my daughter who
stumbled across them by accident. I understand that she has already
e-mailed you, but I thought perhaps you would like a little more detail
about the farm. I lived there from when I was about eighteen months old in
late 1944 until I married in March 1965. It was a wonderful place to live,
although we had no mains of any sort, no gas, electricity or water. The
only "mod con" we had was a telephone which was put in after I had
meningitis when I was four and my father had to walk to the village to get
the doctor in the middle of the night!

The farm was originally aquired by my grandfather in the early 1920's after
he had owned the Five Bells public house in the village for several years
and he farmed there for many years. He and my grandmother raised their three
sons there. In 1944 my father took over the farm where he and my mother
raised seven children, of whom I am the eldest, five daughters and two sons.
In the summer it was totally idyllic, but the walk to and from school in the
winter was a bit of a nightmare. In those days that monstrosity of a bridge
was not there, there was a level crossing as the only way into the fam then
was via what is now the footpath. The crosssing was kept by Jimmy Rainbow
who had a cottage to the left of the path right beside the rail track. To
the right of the crossing was a hut, about six by four feet with a coal
burning stove in it. We weren't allowed to cross the railway until "Uncle
Jim" let us across, and many mornings we were late for school because he
hadn't heard us yelling at the tops of our voices. When he retired the
crossing was manned 24hrs a day by a couple of railway workers, but the rail
company decided that was too expensive and they were replaced by a
telephone. The cottage and the box were both demolished. Eventually the
crossing was closed altogether and a road was put in from the top of Birds
Hill, changing the access to the farm and eventually the foot crossing that
still existed was replaced by that awful bridge.

When my father took over the farm it was about 100 acres and it was a mixed
farm and viable at that time, but it gradually became more and more
difficult to make it pay and eventually he sold off most of the land,
retaining just the farmhouse and the field in which it stands, and went out
to work. Soon after he retired the farmhouse was destroyed by fire, and as
he was not in a position to rebuild it, the family moved out. He still
however used the field and the buildings as at that time my youngest sister
was a keen equestrian and the horses were kept there, along with a few hens.
My grandmother, who by that time had died would have been delighted. She
hated Littliff with a passion ( I don't know why ) and she said many times
that the best thing that could happen to it would be that it would burn to
the ground. The farmhouse has its own ghost, a lady who apparently was a
nursemaid at the farm who committed suicide when she was jilted by her
lover, and only appears to pregnant women. Both my mother and one of my
sisters have seen her.

Sara Seamark

 

I am very grateful to Sally, Sara and Clarke for this information. Whenever I am in such buildings all sorts of questions come to mind and to have them answered is an unexpected delight. Thank you.

 

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Camera - Olympus OM2 SP

Lenses - Zuiko 21mm f2 - Zuiko 35mm f2 - Zuiko 55mm f1.2 - Zuiko 180mm f2.8

Film - Kodak T400 CN

 

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