Keeper's Cottage in happier times. A remarkable picture supplied by Susan Marie Ward.
This is another heads up for readers interested in local history, particularly of the Stonnall area. Julian Ward-Davies and fellow Stonnall historian Susan-Marie Ward have been busy compiling another great historical paper, this time about Keeper’s Cottage, the now crumbling, derelict house and barn on the bend of Footerley Lane, just before the hump bridge over the brook. Julian Ward-Davies of The Lost Lake of Stonnall fame last week published a great piece with Steve Hickman about master bricklayer Joseph William Taylor, and this new work now sits alongside all of Julian’s other great Stonnall papers.
Keeper’s Cottage has been derelict for as long as I can remember – and that’s at least three decades, along with the cottages in Footherley itself and the lodge bungalow at Owlettts Farm. I despair at seeing what could be good homes being carried to dust when the landowner has been offered good money for them on multiple occasions. A tragedy in itself, that makes me very angry indeed.
Click on the screen shot to visit Susan-Marie & Julian's great bit of research.
This is just part of the fabulous work being undertaken by Julian Ward-Davies, Susan-Marie Ward, GordonMycock, Steve Hickman and the other stalwarts of the Stonnall Local History Group on Facebook. It’s an impressive thing and some real gems are coming out of this interesting and engaging project. It’s nice to see a community and group engaging with, and investigating, their shared community history. Please check it out.