Down To The Farm - Local History Month

[fmttmadmin]

Who else is joining me down on the Farm this morning at 11am,?
Then this afternoon I interview poet John Powls about a beautiful and remarkable new book of poems, paintings and photographs celebrating the landscape of Teesside and North Yorkshire in North Sea to The East -

Monday 24 May​

11am to 1pm – Newham Grange Farm: talk, walk, and cream tea

Did you know Newham Grange Farm was mentioned in the Domesday Book (1086 AD)? Records show this area of Cleveland has been farmed for over 900 years, and we know that the Hopper family worked the land at Newham Grange since 1580. To celebrate History Month, we’re offering a talk and walk showing the history of the farm, a presentation from artist Carol Newmarch, and a cream tea to finish (fruit scone with clotted cream and preserve, and a cup of tea).

Cost: £6.50

Book: for more information and to book, visit the Newham Grange website

2pm – North Sea to the East

John Powls talks about his new book of poetry and paintings inspired by the lands around the Tees.

Get involved: watch the John Powls interview

7pm – Local History Quiz 4

A virtual quiz about our local history from Stockton Council’s libraries team.

Get involved: to take part go to the Stockton Libraries Facebook page

 

[fmttmadmin]

Fascinating tour this morning of Newham Grange Leisure Farm - I pass the sign so many times when driving through Coulby Newham but had not been there for years,
What a transformation in recent years but also what stories to tell this morning from Stephen the farm manager from taking us back to his father and uncle's day pre mechanisation using horses and hand milking cows just 80 years ago!!
Carol demonstrated hand made brick making such as make up the walls of the original 18th century farm house.
Then a cream tea to finish.
A Discovery Centre will be opening up at the Farm next month and will be well worth a visit and they also expect to continue some walk and talks from time to time.
From wallabies and llamas to (Durham) shorthorn, three breeds of sheep and the third of a tonne pigs. Old crab apple trees, hawthorn enclosure hedges to imported cedar and fruiting walnut trees. Possible site of a windmill and former dairy stalls and granaries lots and lots to see. You can read where a former farmer left his mark, less than two decades after Middlesbrough new town was founded.
And of course it is so popular with the small children looking at the animals or playing crazy golf etc. Big cafe area also with outside seating in 3 different areas.
Photo below shows the original farm house - later subdivided into 3 tenant farms, rented from Middlesbrough Council and proving unviable after the construction of the A174 parkway in the late 1970s (1976?).