Footy Chick wrote:Great photos JTC.
Have you found out what the initials HB NR EM stand for yet?
not yet FC but Mrs Claret is working on it. We think the NR might be the Robinson family who lived here.
It seems a grand old stone for a modest farmhouse, but our previous house had a carved stone, although this time set into the wall outside. We lived only 3 miles away from where we are now but on the other side of the hill.. we don’t know how old that house was other than it was originally an old coaching house. This was an Inn that served as a stopover for coaches where the driver and passengers could stop for the night and the horses could be tended.
In the attic there was two small windows cut into the stones gable ends. A square one at one end and a round one at the other. This is common around our parts and is meant to keep out bad sprits and to let bad sprits pass out. The original stone steps leading to the 1st floor are still partially there. We also found the well which was covered up and the remains of the stable.
It became a farm in the 1770’s, possibly earlier with a milking shed and 2 separate barns, all of which have been converted into houses now. All the land around is still farmed by the Binns family. That stone I mentioned earlier was carved with the initials MTD Binns 1772. We always though it funny.
Anyway, part of our land had an old limestone kiln and workings. Part of the old workings was a building with and old fireplace.. The original roof had gone and replaced the one that was there. The kiln was there to process the lime from the old limestone quarry just across the lane from our house. The quarry is known as The Witches Quarry and is named so because word has it, it was where old ma Demdyke made her pact with the devil.
The quarry is quite well known by rock climbers and gets popular in the summer. I think there might even be a club. I know there was at least 1 climbing fatality during the time we lived there. The kids and their mates would camp there until they found out about Ma Demdyke