This was a fun one with a pretty interesting history.
Bunting & Sons had a nearly 200 year history, but these sprawling greenhouses were only constructed in the 1960s. They were primarily for the purpose of tomato growing and research into pest controls for tomato plants. The company's findings made them greatly successful however production ceased in late 2000.
They diversified into other business fields including purchasing the local pub whilst drawing up plans to open a heritage centre on the site. This met with stiff opposition from the local community and planning permission was turned down year after year. The ongoing legal battles eventually bled the company dry owing a reported £14.5million - and they reportedly owed the local village shop £3000! They lost all their assets after the court battle including this site which is now owned by the same housing developer who will put crappy box homes on the old Severalls site.
We got in without a fuss, aware that there is at least one active building only reachable via the track through the middle of the site. It looks as if a couple of smaller ones have been dismantled recently and out the back I thought I spied demolition equipment but I wasn't close enough to make certain. What surprised us all though came in one of the larger greenhouses!
We had just entered the space through one of the interior doors and I heard a strange grunting sound coming from somewhere off to the left, in an adjoining greenhouse all overgrown internally. I looked through the internal partition barrier and imagine my surprise when I saw a large pig and two small piglets trotting towards us! I quickly waved my friends over not really believing what I had seen and as they came over the daddy pig wandered up, they were really friendly and curious so we spent a few minutes with them, but realised they were making quite a lot of loud grunting and oinking and not wanting to draw attention to ourselves let them be and carried on. Talk about surreal...
Thanks for looking, more here https://www.flickr.com/photos/mookie427/albums/72157686913622086
Bunting & Sons had a nearly 200 year history, but these sprawling greenhouses were only constructed in the 1960s. They were primarily for the purpose of tomato growing and research into pest controls for tomato plants. The company's findings made them greatly successful however production ceased in late 2000.
They diversified into other business fields including purchasing the local pub whilst drawing up plans to open a heritage centre on the site. This met with stiff opposition from the local community and planning permission was turned down year after year. The ongoing legal battles eventually bled the company dry owing a reported £14.5million - and they reportedly owed the local village shop £3000! They lost all their assets after the court battle including this site which is now owned by the same housing developer who will put crappy box homes on the old Severalls site.
We got in without a fuss, aware that there is at least one active building only reachable via the track through the middle of the site. It looks as if a couple of smaller ones have been dismantled recently and out the back I thought I spied demolition equipment but I wasn't close enough to make certain. What surprised us all though came in one of the larger greenhouses!
We had just entered the space through one of the interior doors and I heard a strange grunting sound coming from somewhere off to the left, in an adjoining greenhouse all overgrown internally. I looked through the internal partition barrier and imagine my surprise when I saw a large pig and two small piglets trotting towards us! I quickly waved my friends over not really believing what I had seen and as they came over the daddy pig wandered up, they were really friendly and curious so we spent a few minutes with them, but realised they were making quite a lot of loud grunting and oinking and not wanting to draw attention to ourselves let them be and carried on. Talk about surreal...
Thanks for looking, more here https://www.flickr.com/photos/mookie427/albums/72157686913622086
