On this page of my blog, I will be going into detail about the subject’s history and the idea of abandoned.
To get a simple definition and going into more detail about the subject, I looked at what Wikipedia had to say about abandoned and deserted places. Gainsthorpe gained mention in the wikipedia site for settlements in the UK, also a little bit of content on the black death and the amount of places the deserted through it’s time, being the “death of between 30% and 50% of the British population” around them years.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abandoned_village#Deserted_medieval_villages
Many villages in the United Kingdom have been abandoned throughout history. It could be the result of natural events, such as rivers changing course or silting up, or coastal and estuarine erosion.
Sometimes villages were deliberately cleared; the Harrying of the North caused widespread devastation in the winter of 1069–1070. In the 12th and 13th centuries, many villages were removed to make way for monasteries, and in the 18th century, it became fashionable for land-owning aristocrats to live in large mansions set in large landscaped parklands. Villages that obstructed the view were removed, although by the early 19th century it had become common to provide replacements.
In modern times, a few villages have been abandoned due to reservoirs being built and the location being flooded. These include Capel Celyn in Gwynedd, Wales, Mardale Green in the English Lake District and two villages – Ashopton and Derwent – drowned by the Ladybower Reservoir in Derbyshire. In other cases, such as Tide Mills, East Sussex, Imber and Tyneham, the village lands have been converted to military training areas. Villages in Northumberland have been demolished to make way for open cast mines. Hampton-on-Seawas abandoned due to coastal erosion thought to have been exacerbated by the building of a pier.[11]
Deserted medieval villages.
In the United Kingdom, a deserted medieval village (DMV) is a settlement that was abandoned during the Middle Ages, typically leaving no trace apart from earthworks or cropmarks. If there are three or fewer inhabited houses, the convention is to regard the site as deserted;[12] if there are more than three houses, it is regarded as shrunken.[13]
In the early centuries of the Middle Ages, the population of Britain increased rapidly. This meant that farmland was in short supply and many villages were established upon less fertile lands. However, from around 1200 onwards, the climate became harsher, as a period sometimes called the “Little Ice Age” began. Villages on exposed uplands or in clay vales where the soil became waterlogged bore the brunt of the changes. Crop failures forced many such villages to be abandoned.
In 1348, the Black Death caused the death of between 30% and 50% of the British population in the years that followed. Many abandonments have been attributed to the Black Death, although relatively few are known to have been directly caused by it. Many depopulated villages were re-settled and re-populated, especially those with productive lands. An indirect effect of the Black Death was that labour, which had been plentiful and cheap, was suddenly in short supply. It improved the bargaining position of labourers, who demanded better pay and conditions from landowners. In response, many landowners started to rear sheep for wool, which was far more profitable than rent from tenants. Common land was enclosed – a flock of sheep needed few shepherds to look after them, and villagers who were no longer required were evicted. The process of enclosure flourished throughout the 15th and 16th centuries, and led to many villages being deserted. This led to poverty and homelessness amongst rural dwellers and gave rise to mass revolts in 1536, 1569, and 1607. Most notoriously, the Highland Clearances in northern Scotland led to significant depopulation.
England has an estimated 3,000 DMVs. One of the best-known is Wharram Percy in North Yorkshire, where extensive archaeological excavations were conducted between 1948 and 1990. Its ruined church and former fishpond are still visible.[14] Some other examples are Gainsthorpe in Lincolnshire,[15][16] and Old Wolverton in Milton Keynes.[17]
In the early stages of this research, I managed to find a newspaper article based on the top 10 deserted places in the world and why they are now deserted.
http://mentalfloss.com/article/53811/10-deserted-places-and-why-they-were-abandoned
Article that focuses on famous deserted places and the reasons behind them being abandoned.
1. I.M. COOLING TOWER, BELGIUM
The I.M. Cooling Tower is part of an abandoned power plant located in Monceau, Belgium. While in use, the tower cooled incoming hot water by using wind. The wind would enter the opening at the bottom of the tower and rise up, cooling the hot water. The air would then become warm and leave the tower. During its prime, the I.M. Cooling Tower could cool up to 480,000 gallons of water per minute.
2. KOLMANSKOP, NAMIBIA
Kolmanskop, a ghost town in Sperrgebiet of Namibia, was built during the burgeoning diamond trade in the early 1900s. In 1908, a railway worker named Zhacarias Lewala was shoveling sand away from the railroad tracks when he spotted a diamond. The news spread quickly, and many Germans poured into the area to hunt for the precious gems. A bustling town soon developed, complete with a hospital, ballroom, school, factory, and casino. However, by the end of the first World War, the town declined. Later, richer diamond deposits were found farther south and operations moved to Oranjemund. Kolmanskop became a ghost town. In 1980, the De Beers mining company restored many of its buildings and turned Kolmanskop into a tourist attraction.
3. MICHIGAN CENTRAL STATION, DETROIT
In the early 1900s, Detroit was a bustling epicenter for factory jobs and industrialization. The city’s railroad business was quickly expanding, and the company decided that a much larger depot should be built. By 1910, Michigan Central had purchased 50 acres of property in the Corktown neighborhood outside of downtown Detroit. The station was comprised of a 3-story train depot and an 18-story office tower; the final price for the building was about $2.5 million (around $55 million today). Once built and in use, the station inspired awe in all of its passengers: “The grandeur of the interior is something that will be lasting, for it is of marble, brick and bronze, all of this is set off by one of the best lighting schemes ever installed in a building,” wrote the Free Press in 1913.
But a busy future for the station wasn’t meant to be. The railroad industry fell into decline as the government began constructing highways and subsidized intercity airline traffic. Over the years, railroad companies tried to sell the station, and train lines began to abandon the station because of the upkeep. On January 5, 1988, Train No. 353 became the last train to leave the station. During the 1990s, the station fell into disrepair and became vulnerable to trespassing and looting. Today, the battle between demolition and restoration continues.
4. UNDERWATER CITY IN SHICHENG, CHINA
Shicheng City—which translates to Lion City—was submerged under Qiandao Lake in China in 1959 during the construction of the Xin’an River Hydropower Station. Now that the city, which is approximately 1400 years old, is underwater, it’s protected from erosion by wind, rain, and sun and remains in a relatively stable condition. Today, international archeologists refer to Shicheng City as a time capsule of ancient China; its arches, gates, and towers are so well preserved that they give archeologists an almost perfect view of what the city looked like hundreds of years ago. Back then, Shicheng City was the center of politics, economics, and culture of Sui’an County.
5. SALTO HOTEL, COLOMBIA
Situated near a 515-foot waterfall outside of Bogotá, Colombia, the Hotel del Salto first opened in 1928. It was a building that welcomed many travelers visiting the area. Over the next few decades, the Bogotá River became contaminated, and the tourism industry waned. The hotel finally closed in the 1990s and was left abandoned. Some believe the hotel is haunted, mostly because of the prevalence of suicides around the waterfall. In 2012, the hotel was renovated and converted to a museum.
6. ABANDONED MILITARY HOSPITAL IN BEELITZ, GERMANY
Wikimedia Commons
This abandoned sanatorium in Beelitz, Germany has an eerie past. The German National Insurance Institute constructed the military hospital in 1898 to house tuberculosis patients. Later on, the sanatorium played host to a recuperating Adolf Hitler, who was injured in the 1916 Battle of the Somme during World War I. During the 1920s, the hospital quickly expanded to accommodate thousands of patients. The building was even equipped with a butcher’s shop, bakery, beer garden, and restaurant. As World War II enveloped the globe, Beelitz Sanatorium was once again a haven for the German military. After the war, the Soviets took control of Beelitz-Heilstätten and used it to treat Soviet soldiers stationed in the area. After the Soviets withdrew in 1994, the building was left empty and abandoned.
7. CRACO, BASILICATA, ITALY
Wikimedia CommonsCraco is an abandoned medieval village located in the Region of Basilicata and the Province of Matera. Greeks settled the town in 540 AD when they originally moved into the area. After its settlement, a university, prison, and four large plazas were constructed. But the town was also subject to various calamities, including plagues, poor agricultural conditions, and earthquakes. Between 1959 and 1972, destructive landslides damaged the area and made the town uninhabitable. In 1963, the last 1800 citizens were transferred to a valley in a different area. Today, the town is empty and abandoned, although it has played the backdrop of films like King David, Quantum of Solace, and The Passion of the Christ.
8. SAN-ZHI, TAIWAN
Wikimedia CommonsIn 1978, the Taiwanese government began subsidizing an architectural project that involved building futuristic pods for the rich to use as summer villas. However, the investment capital disappeared in 1980 before the project was completed, and the architecture company went bankrupt. One major reason that San-Zhi failed was because of intense local superstitions. Several fatal accidents occurred during construction, and as the number of fatalities increased, the government withdrew its support. Many believed that the land was cursed, and the construction company eventually destroyed all of its records regarding the project.
9. ANGKOR WAT IN CAMBODIA
Wikimedia CommonsBetween the 9th and 13th centuries, Angkor was the powerful capital of the Khmer Empire in northwestern Cambodia. Armies from Thailand captured the city in 1431, and Angkor’s citizens fled. Angkor Wat was the city’s monastery, and it was built by King Suryavarman II to honor the Hindu gods. However, as Buddhism was prevalent in the surrounding area, the temple’s Hindu decorations were replaced by Buddhist carvings, and Angkor Wat became a Buddhist shrine. From its abandonment in 1431 to the late 19th century, Theravada Buddhist monks preserved Angkor. Today, it is known as one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Southeast Asia.
10. 1984 WINTER OLYMPICS BOBSLEIGH TRACK IN SARAJEVO
Wikimedia CommonsIn 1977, the city of Sarajevo, Bosnia was chosen as the host city for the 1984 Winter Olympics. That same year, Bosnia proposed the construction of the bobsleigh and luge track and, by 1982, had completed its construction. During the 1984 Winter Olympics, the track had a total of 30,000 bobsleigh spectators and 20,000 luge spectators. After the Olympics, the track was used by world cup competitors. In 1991, the Yugoslav wars shook the region, and the Siege of Sarajevo caused damage to the track since Bosnian Serb forces used the track as an artillery position. Today, the bobsleigh and luge tracks have fallen into disrepair and have been tagged with graffiti.
http://www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk/iconic-lincolnshire-buildings-standing-today-8211/story-28003103-detail/story.html
I feel although the article above is very useful as it represents that the idea of deserted place takes place everywhere in the world. With all 10 examples being in different places, this backs up just how many abandoned settlements are in Lincolnshire, for example the one that everyone knows, Gainsthorpe. For that reason, this secondary research article found online is useful and contributes well to the idea of deserted places, with some of the photographs like number 3 and 7 even having a similarity about the way they look. From this article, I moved onto look at other various news articles and books on the topic.
I then went to the Lincolnshire Echo to find a piece about abandoned buildings in Lincolnshire. I have left in the three first pictures and taken out the others, I don’t want to take up too much room with these articles. Having lived in Lincolnshire for the last three years, I know how far away all these places are, and after googling it, realised how it wouldn’t take me long at all to get there. The bit of this article I find fanscinating is the story behind the image, with the details that are included about a specific time or how this building was damaged or why it’s deserted.
Ten iconic Lincolnshire buildings standing empty today – and their fascinating histories
| Posted: October 17, 2015
Sleaford Bass Maltings – which were built between 1892 and 1905 at a cost of £350,000 are eight buildings which processed the barley grown around Sleaford by Bass. Full production ceased in 1939 and had stopped completely by 1959. The site has suffered two big fires – one in 1976 and another in 2014. They were Listed Grade 2 by English Heritage in 1982 and , although there are plans to convert the site for both residential and business use, they remain empty.
image: http://www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk/images/localworld/ugc-images/276392/binaries/4394278.JPG
Nocton Hall
Another building devastated by fire is the once beautiful Nocton Hall. Built around 1530, it enjoyed an illustrious history, including a visit from Henry VIII and his wife, Catherine Howard, who planted a chestnut tree which local legend has it survives to this day. Much of the old hall was destroyed by fire in 1834. The house was used as a convalescence home by the Americans in World War I and as a military hospital by them in World War II. By the 1980s it became a care home which closed in the mid-1990s. It was listed as a Grade 2 building in 1985 but following a mysterious fire in 2004 has remained derelict.
image: http://www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk/images/localworld/ugc-images/276392/binaries/5833078.jpg
Heckington Manor
A building which has a brighter prospect for the future is Heckington Manor, probably better known as the Ferdowse Clinic. It was sold this year having stood empty since government cuts caused the closure of the clinic in 2003, which was the only residential care facility for alcoholism in Lincolnshire . The clinic had cared for 2,000 patients over the 15 years it had been there. It had been an old peoples home in the 1960s and 1970s and a childrens home in the 1950s. The original house was built around 1700 and then rebuilt in 1909.
image: http://www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk/images/localworld/ugc-images/276392/binaries/Heckington%20manor.jpg
At the University of Lincoln, is a lecturer called Carenza Lewis. Professor Lewis teaches in the subjects of history and heritage. My tutor & I thought it was a good idea to email Professor Carenza Lewis asking if she would take the time to discuss my project with me, going into various details about the locations visited. Below, I have attached the words I found from the University of Lincoln Staff Directory, where all the information about her journey is explained and where under the title “Subject Specialism” I came across Medieval rural settlement, demography, and landscape.
– http://staff.lincoln.ac.uk/clewis
Title
For the title of this piece I had considered various names before decided on “The Dead Villages”. Linking this to the research page, when I looked at the work of Thomas Struth, I really liked the title of his workings that represent his series. Called “Unconscious Places” I believe is a really strong title, and would have potentially worked well my series. “The Sunken Village” was another title I considered for a long time, however, I felt that this title was only based on one of my villages, Gainsthorpe. So when I started going to more and more villages, some sunk and others not, I didn’t feel that name was appropriate. “The Dead Villages” was a name I decied upon when viewing all my photographs collectively of all the locations I’d been to visit. Experimenting around with whether it should be “Unconscious Villages” before I nailed down the name of “The Dead Villages”. I feel although it’s straight to the point whereas unconscious could mean a variety of things.
Other Websites
https://www.thrillist.com/entertainment/london/9-amazing-abandoned-places-in-the-uk
When researching between famous abandoned places in the world and Lincolnshire, although I didn’t mention at the top, I did look at the website above to check out the most amazing abandoned places in the UK. At the time I felt that the steps down from the world, to the UK, to Lincolnshire would work however I decided to cut it and place it down here. This being because I feel although it’s relevant to my research stage but doesn’t have a massive importance between the link of places.
Pripyat, Ukraine/Worldwide