Dick and Les Barker working the land on Crooksbarn farm. Photograph and information courtesy of of Marion Gregson (Barker) 
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
Dick and Les Barker working the land on Crooksbarn farm. Photograph and information courtesy of of Marion Gregson (Barker)
Remember when… Late 1940s early 1950s seeing stooks in the fields, but what about potato pies? Not the ones you eat. Any comments?
Potato Pies. My g/father, market gardener in Norton made potato pies. When the potato pickers had done their work the potatoes were taken to as pot where they were going to be stored. They were emptied in a long row, straw was placed over them to keep the frost from them and then soil was placed over the straw. When needing them from market they were taken from one end then sealed up again.
My Father grew potato’s and pied them. We lay down straw in a sheltered part of the garden then built a long pile of potato’s in a “V” shape from the bottom. This would then be covered with more straw then soil piled up on the sides and top but leaving a small hole on which a tin chimney would be put to let out steam or vapours. We would open one end when we needed potato’s fill a paper sack for the week and then recover. That pie would last us through until the new potato’s were ready. Carrots were stored in a sand box, the rest of the roots cabbage sprouts were left in the ground and cut as needed. When we took the sprouts off the stalk Dad would cut a cross on the top of the stalk and we got winter greens as fresh leaves grew, also back then we ate Beetroot leaves as a Vegetable, nothing wasted in wartime.
Farmers would harvest fields of potato’s, as school kids we all went potato picking, the potato’s went on a riddle to get rid of the mud, or most of it then after leaving them to dry off a day or so went into sacks usually paper and were stored until needed. It would have taken to much work to pie fields of potato’s.
Crooksbarn had mainly level fields so grew Serials, Fulford up Bradbury Road grew Potato’s, after the potato picking Dad would then go back over it and we got all our Pig potato’s for the winter months stored in sacks in the garage they lasted well, it was my job to light the boiler and boil a weeks potato’s for the pigs, this would be mixed with waste Jam, Lemon Curd, from Pumphries and Waste bread and cake from Sparks Factory. Part of Dads perks as a Haulage Contractor with trucks. We had very well fed pigs.
Peter if you like to get in touch, please contact the Picture Stockton Team at pictures@stockton.gov.uk and they will pass on my email address
Does anyone know of a landfill processing plant on Crooksbarn TS20 1NE maybe round about 1950?
The only land fill I know of in that area was the filling in of the Show field or Sand pots as the locals knew it for the Red House School playing fields. The fill was trucked in from the Green Norton through Hermatage place as there had always been a ramp from there to the top of the show field and builders often dropped rubble from it. What is now a level field was at one time a wonderful hilly place for us kids to sledge down. On the top field which was level and led to Les Barkers Farm was the Cricket field for the Norton Tykes. I have no knowledge of a processing plant but then was away in the army so not sure.
The landfill site on Blakeston Lane was on the left hand side on the bank which is now opposite Blakeston Cattery.
Frank, You forgot to mention the top of the Sand pots was Primrose Hill football pitch which was before you got to the cricket field & next to it was Barkers Athletic’s ground.
Anon, the big field at the side nearest Station Road entrance was in my early days fenced in and had Rugby posts there permanently. Foot ball was also played on it and as nearly every road in Norton had its own team was well used. My freind Dennis Goldsbrough played for Eamont Road and when they could not get the ground in the Recreation Park played up there. Many local stories were about a massive show being held on that field, was it the Large American Show that came to England around 1900’s, cannot say for sure though Dad always called it the Show field?
It was my playground for many years and got a shock coming on leave and finding it level.
Frank, my mother told be she saw Wild Bill Hickock there when she was a small girl. She was born in 1898. so 1900ish would be some where near.
Eamont Road did have a good team, when the Stockton Junior League closed down due to the war, they joined the Middlesbrough League in season 1940/41, renamed themselves Middlesbrough Crusaders & beat South Bank Juniors, the following season South Bank poached Rickaby, Harburn, French, Franklin & McLean from the team.
Hi, not sure but I think there was a landfill site at Blakeston which is about three miles from Crooksbarn. I don’t think there was ever one at Crooksbarn. It was a farm until part of it got sold off to build houses for ICI managers in the 1920’s/30’s and eventually more was sold to extend the estate.
I worked on Crooks Barn Farm for my uncle Richard Barker from 1951 till early 1958. I also spent a lot of holidays there, and have many happy memories. I also have some photos taken around the farm.
Hi, this sounds idyllic, unless the weather is really bad of course! Farmers have to be a tough breed! I would be really interested in receiving a copy of the building of Crooksbarn Farm. My daughter lives on the estate and is very interested in its history. It would be for private use only and I would NOT put it on any website. Cheers, Mandy
How wonderful to see my uncle Dick and cousin Leslie. I was born at Crooks Barn Farm, Norton in June 1939 and spent so many happy times there and plenty of laughter. For a time my brother Gordon worked on the farm, he now lives in Perth, Australia. I was so sad to see the farm go and even sadder to see what they have done to the land on my recent visit. It was however lovely to meet up with Marion an Marjorie and hope to return ‘up north’ again soon.
How nice! I remember viiting this farm when I was about 4 or 5 (1966-7) and living on the newly constructed Lapwing Lane. The cats were a major feature for me. “Farmer Barker” is all I remember as far as the name goes.
Behind the tractor is Station Road, the clump of hedgerow is now west of the Crooksbarn Primary school the remainig space now Crooksbarn estate.
This picture is of Dick and Les Barker working the land on Crooksbarn farm which seems to be a great topic of discussion on PictureStockton at the moment