By 2024, the centuries-old farmhouse has been lovingly restored and next weekend the garden – now a beautiful mix of lawn, woodland, herbaceous borders, free-flowing water and, of course, one old apple tree – is open for the 25th and final time to the public. Ravensford, just south of Hamsterley, is the home of Caroline and Jonathan Peacock who have spent the decades bringing this historic corner of south Durham – the earliest known resident of Ravensford was Alice Galonn in 1408 – back to life. Ravensford, derelict but for sale in 1984 The clearance begins at Ravensford After 40 years of dedication, Ravensford now has stunning gardens In that time, they’ve also unearthed many stories from its long past.
READ MORE: THE MADDENING INFLUENCE OF DRINK: HOW DURHAM WAS AWASH WITH BOOZE AND VIOLENCE 150 YEARS AGO For instance, most visitors to the open gardens on Sunday, September 22, will approach from the south, using a bridge to cross the Linburn Beck just before they arrive. This must once have been the ford where the ravens drank or nested – or perhaps a Viking called Hraefn, a common Scandinavian name, settled here. But one day in the early 1720s, when the beck was in flood so the ford was impassable, Jack Dowson of Ravensford Farm went across a rickety footbridge with his horse.
A travelling piper, touring the area playing for money, followed. As Jack and the horse passed the centre of the bridge, it gave way behind them. They scrambled to safety, but the poor pip.