The Artists Retreat

This house belonged to two brothers and a sister after they inherited it from their wealthy parents. It is said that the siblings used this as a holiday retreat and they would visit many times a year. It's clear to see from the remaining artwork their time was spent painting and making sculptures up until their old age when they could no longer visit the house.

When I first entered this house I can honestly say I thought maybe it was still lived in and started to feel a little uncomfortable which is not something that usually happens to me. However, as I moved around the house it was clear to see it hasn’t been occupied for quite some time and the further I explored the decay became apparent; especially on the top two floors which have rotten floor boards and holes in the ceilings. Walking around was quite surreal – you would enter one room and it would be quite modern, then walk in the next to see old-fashioned furniture and items still left as they were and covered in layers of dust. Looking through photos it seemed their parents and relatives lived quite lavish lifestyles; there were many photos aboard cruise ships and at parties in stately homes.















The ceiling was coming down in places due to water dripping down from the holes in the roof.































I was informed this is an original cart that was used to carry the dead out of the nearby mine:



Thanks for looking,

Rubex

I got that same feeling at first with the table cloth still on the dining table.great report rubex

That was just a gem - how do you find these places - just great

What an amazing place! Nice post

Yeah amazing, can I buy it ;-)

You pair find some good sites but that is a bit special, Many Thanks

Possibly your best to date........

Wow. That could be a stunning house again. Great shots.

The early Victorian Mortuary Cart is of a similar design to a number of others that are still extant - the heavy wooden stretcher part must have been difficult to carry and manoeuvre over a rockfall, before it could be placed on the wheeled base. Design similarities are probably due to plans being published, so that local carpenter/blacksmith could construct same. Unlike todays units which are factory made. It is also interesting to note that the carts found on seaside locations to recover drowned bodies were mounted on two wheels and construction was of a much lighter form. Probably an indicator as to just how rough the conditions were in these early mines. Local reports of the cave-ins that occurred in Lord Stanhopes early bell pits around Horsforth and Rawdon make horrendous reading when one sees the number of children killed, never mind grown men.

Also interesting to see a picture of James (the father) on the bed alongside his trunk. Funny how these cumbersome old trucks always seem to survive, shoved out of the way in an attic or spare bedroom and forgotten about I suppose.

Fantastic photos Rubex! I couldn't help but notice (or maybe the angles of the shots are a factor) that there is a distinct lack of ceiling lights in this house, as well as no plugs or switches.. Did it have electricity?

Dirus_Strictus said:

Also interesting to see a picture of James (the father) on the bed alongside his trunk. Funny how these cumbersome old trucks always seem to survive, shoved out of the way in an attic or spare bedroom and forgotten about I suppose.

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Do you know what era the photos are? I was guessing maybe late Victorian?

Fantastic post, your finds keep gettimg better!

A true treasure trove...so much to see.Great report and images.