An abandoned farmhouse that has not been touched for years is now an amazing time capsule introducing rural life from a century ago.
The house, located in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, may look like a typical village house, but when you walk in and you’re taken back in time over a hundred years, to the era of the First World War and even the Titanic!
At the farmhouse, there are piles of newspapers dating back to 1911, clock stops, half-smoke pipes, and the owner’s shoes left on the bed years after the property was vacated.
Photographer Rebecca was invited to see the nostalgic house after its owner passed away and she was amazed by the classic scenery in the perfectly preserved house.
The three brothers were the last owners of the tumbledown cottage, with the last moving in 2015.
Their home is filled with family memories, and interestingly, the brothers also keep unopened food tins from the early 20th century on kitchen shelves.
The last siblings, named Dessie, lived “a solitary life among the relics of the past” before moving to another home in 2015 and dying two years later.
Rebecca, who owns the Abandoned NI website shares photos of the abandoned homes she explored, was allowed by the owners to obtain a record of the unusual photos before they were demolished to make way for the new building.
Through some photos taken, it shows there are hundreds of handwritten letters filling drawers, and three kettles sitting on the stove, next to a cup that appears to have been placed there before being left.
Old books and newspapers from 1917 were left sitting in a living room that had been closed for more than 50 years, alongside a newspaper reporting incidents after the sinking of the Titanic in 1912.
“I have to admit I saw the outside and wasn’t sure if it was worth it. As soon as I opened the door I was blown away.
“I went into what I thought was a wee cottage and it’s basically a social history museum,” she said.
The cottage first appeared on the map in 1858 and Rebecca began researching the family to help collect the puzzles in all the pictures.
After talking to people to find out more about Dessie, she said: “Among many things he was a fabulous cook, many friends still talk about his famous soda bread which he cooked over the original stove.
“He was a hearty farmer, milking cows to produce milk and butter.
“It was reported if you stayed for dinner in the house and you finished up, you were given another dinner for seconds.No one left with an empty stomach,” she added.
The cottage first appeared on the map in 1858 and Rebecca began researching the family to help collect the puzzles in all the pictures.
After talking to people to find out more about Dessie, she said: “Among many things he was a fabulous cook, many friends still talk about his famous soda bread which he cooked over the original stove.
“He was a hearty farmer, milking cows to produce milk and butter.
“It was reported if you stayed for dinner in the house and you finished up, you were given another dinner for seconds.No one left with an empty stomach,” she added.
Interestingly, one of the questions Rebecca was able to resolve was personal items belonging to Edwin McQueen, the man who had married Dessie’s mother. He worked as a policeman, and a certificate from 1894 and a picture of him framed in his uniform were found in one of the bedrooms.
“Homes like this are the reason I love to photograph and document these buildings.
“There are so many places around the country just like this lying untouched and pretty soon they’ll be gone too and we’ll have no record of them being there,” said Rebecca
Sources: Daily Star