Only ever seen one report of this place and only know a handful of people who have explored it, I could never seem to find but after a rummage on maps I found it...and of course with some help.
Required a bit of sneaking as I didn't want to be seen by the neighbouring farmers on the land.
The bottom floor seems to be used by the farmer, so I ventured to the upper floors, there wasn't much here, but there was some nice natural decay and a few photogenic shots to be took. Not to mention the beautiful countryside surrounding it.
History on the place.
Wheelbirks is a small rural part of Northumbria, located to the south of Hadrian’s Wall. According to several historical books, there have been farmsteads in the area since the 16th century. It was David Richardson, though, who would have the greatest influence in transforming the area. Richardson, who was a Quaker and the owner of some of the largest tanneries in the country, moved to the area in 1882. The family has a long history as tanners, tracing as far back as the mid-16th century to a site based at Great Ayton, Cleveland, so they had a considerable amount of wealth and influence.
In 1902, Richardson started work on replacing the original farmhouse at Wheelbirks with a Restrained Gothic style farmhouse and several small cottages. By 1911, the area was completely transformed, having changed from a small farmstead into a fully-fledged estate. Further development was prompted a few months after completion following an outbreak of tuberculosis (TB) inside Richardson’s tanneries. During the early 1900s, for instance, the works located at Elswick were reported to have a high incidence of the disease.
Thanks for looking.
Required a bit of sneaking as I didn't want to be seen by the neighbouring farmers on the land.
The bottom floor seems to be used by the farmer, so I ventured to the upper floors, there wasn't much here, but there was some nice natural decay and a few photogenic shots to be took. Not to mention the beautiful countryside surrounding it.
History on the place.
Wheelbirks is a small rural part of Northumbria, located to the south of Hadrian’s Wall. According to several historical books, there have been farmsteads in the area since the 16th century. It was David Richardson, though, who would have the greatest influence in transforming the area. Richardson, who was a Quaker and the owner of some of the largest tanneries in the country, moved to the area in 1882. The family has a long history as tanners, tracing as far back as the mid-16th century to a site based at Great Ayton, Cleveland, so they had a considerable amount of wealth and influence.
In 1902, Richardson started work on replacing the original farmhouse at Wheelbirks with a Restrained Gothic style farmhouse and several small cottages. By 1911, the area was completely transformed, having changed from a small farmstead into a fully-fledged estate. Further development was prompted a few months after completion following an outbreak of tuberculosis (TB) inside Richardson’s tanneries. During the early 1900s, for instance, the works located at Elswick were reported to have a high incidence of the disease.
Thanks for looking.
