Half an hour’s walk from the barn is this little settlement. Invisible from the road, up a narrow, steep-sided valley which goes nowhere, all that is left now are these two abandoned farms. One family lived here for 600 years, until 1909, and it passed into other hands. The last farmer left only 5 years ago, but they seem to be a glimpse into a very distant past.

Hilary Painter came here in March 2013, looking for subjects for her engravings, and experienced a rare late spring blizzard which closed the roads. She saw this collection of buildings and knew it would make a very special picture. She made it her Christmas card last year!