About Me

My photo
Delta, British Columbia, Canada
I took very early retirement from teaching in '06 and did some traveling in Europe and the UK before settling down to do some private tutoring. As a voracious reader, I have many books waiting in line for me to read. Tell me I shouldn't read something, and I will. I'm a happy, optimistic person and I love to travel and through that believe that life can be a continuous learning experience. I'm looking forward to traveling more some day. I enjoy walking, cycling, water aerobics & and sports like tennis, volleyball, and fastpitch/baseball. I'm just getting into photography as a hobby and I'm enjoying learning all the bits and bobs of my digital camera. My family is everything to me and I'm delighted to be the mother of two girls and the Gramma of a boy and a girl. I may be a Gramma, but I'm at heart just a girl who wants to have fun.

Saturday, July 26, 2008

London Heritage Farm, Richmond BC

London Heritage Farm is a 4.6 acre site overlooking the south arm of the Fraser River and offers a park-like setting with lovely flower gardens, the restored Spragg family barn, old farm equipment, and chickens. The 1880's farm house has been fully restored and furnished to illustrate rural life in Richmond. Six rooms display furniture, accessories, pictures, photographs, clothing, quilts, etc. There is always something to see to bring back memories of your own childhood. On the east side of the house there are heritage style herb and flower gardens, a rose arbour, gourd house, fruit trees and the fruit garden and bee hives. In the west pasture there are 69 allotment gardens.

The house is in its original location and at the turn of the century, Richmond farmers began constructing dykes along the river to protect their farms and drain accumulated water through flood gates at low tide. In June and December each year, there was a 2-3 week period of extremely high tides when the river level was too high to utilize the flood gates. Large ponds were dug out to accumulate the water and the fill was used to make the dykes. See my black & white photo.

The lovely country style tea room seats up to 25 and serves London Farm's own blend of tea "London Lady", home made scones with jam and other sweets served on fine English bone china. We all took tea there and I was amazed to notice that at my place at the table sat a Laurentian Snowdrop teacup, saucer, and plate. When my mother became engaged to my Dad, her parents gave her a tea set of this same pattern and when I became engaged to my husband, my mother passed it on to me. I still have it to this day. Above us hung the most glorious chandelier I've ever seen!

At Christmas, the public is invited to visit the 1880's farmhouse which offers a wide variety of unique hand crafted gifts. And the house is decorated in the old fashioned tradition for the holidays. I've never been there during the Christmas season, but I think I'm going to make it a point to go this year.

I took a lot of photos of the house, both inside and out, along with the gardens and lots of macros. For now, I'd like to take you on a virtual tour of the property and I hope you enjoy it.

8 comments:

jmb said...

It is a lovely spot Leslie. We took a tour with the Faculty Women's Club Heritage Group a few years ago followed by tea.

Anne in Oxfordshire said...

Very enjoyable, lovely place to "take tea"..very strange about the cup and saucer design..amazing little story.

It is very English!!!! Thought the history might be something to do with England, but they were from Ontario!!
http://www.londonheritagefarm.ca/history.html...there was a school named after them as well.


My brother-in-law has LONDON as his surname!!!

Lone Grey Squirrel said...

Enjoy your travelogue of Vancouver as always.

Liz Hinds said...

I love the sort of history that I remember or that brings back memories of my childhood.

You definitely must go there at Christmas time!

Daryl said...

Lovely ... and it seems your back isnt keeping you from taking wonderful photos!

:-Daryl

Smalltown RN said...

Those are gorgeous photos Leslie....my goodness you are getting very proficient at this whole photography and posting thing....you can start teaching me a thing or two....hey sorry to hear you aren't making it over my way...I will send you and email...give you an update...you will just LOVE the Broken Island group...I canoed them a few years in a row...amazing...the mights and powerful Pacific Ocean...sites to behold.....

mrsnesbitt said...

There are some places I have been to which still have some of these elements. I adore the varanda! I would love one here.

Ellee Seymour said...

How interesting, and I really like the slide presentation, I haven't seen that on any other blogs.