Lost farms

“I’ve always been interested in the photos taken by the development corporation during the early years of Milton Keynes. I guess they were documenting it not only because they were proud of their work but also because they had to justify where the money was going. Either way, they have left an amazing legacy.

“My own photographic journey started by trying to recreate those old photos, and document the original filming locations of the iconic TV adverts.  It then progressed to documenting the areas I grew up, and the buildings/places which were at risk of disappearing.

Here he describes a few of those experiences.

Shenley den Farm

When I first went along to the farm it had been a while since the residents had moved out and the house was boarded up with a huge hole in the rear of the house. It wasn’t long before the graffiti artists moved in and started painting the walls.

Except for the poor condition of the farmhouse, the rest of the buildings were in good condition. In the centre of an open courtyard was a large water tank which was made in the nearby village of Deanshanger.

Shortly after exploring the site, I did my research and found this archaeological report that includes details of the farms’ age and construction.

Shenley Hill Farm

Unfortunately, I didn’t make it before the house was demolished. I remember walking up the driveway on a snowy afternoon, and the sheep which now lived in the field started to follow me. The faster I walked the faster they walked. It was very odd to see pallets of bricks stacked up.

Common Farm

On my first attempt to explore this site, I was confronted by a nearby farmer who lived in Whitehouse Farm. He was still using some of the buildings for storage and had to deal with copper thieves on a regular basis. He agreed that I could come back and take photos, but I couldn’t share them until the farm had gone. The reason for the delay was he didn’t want to encourage more people to explore the site.

I recently returned and was pleasantly surprised to see that the farmhouse garden remains and is currently behind fencing – so let’s hope that it’s going to be around for years to come.  

Living Archive

If you are interested in the heritage of farms in the area, Living Archives, has a fantastic collection of images and oral history interviews which record interviews with farming families.