Stubbin Farm

The ruins of Stubbin Farm are well hidden, lying beside a junction of footpaths on the western side of Fernilee Reservoir; where the shoreline path rises up to meet the woodland track.

The only records I’ve managed to discover (with the help of Gail and Mike) are the census returns shown below which reveal that William and Jane Wilson lived here with their four sons in 1871, and that the eldest, George, had moved out before 1881.

William worked at the nearby gunpowder mill, and also farmed 15 acres of land. Two of his sons – Mathew and Thomas – are both listed as coal miners at one of the many local pits in the valley.

Page update: May 2021. Judith Jackson has been in touch to ask:

“Do you know anything about Stubbins Farm – eg. when it was sold? I have the bill of sale poster but no year is on it. My grandfather was William Wilson son of Matthew Wilson.

I spent many happy holidays visiting places with my Grandad especially the ruins of the farm and walking to the Cat and Fiddle, Taxal, Fernilee , Whaley Bridge, etc.”

Page update: December 2021. Alan Wilson has put on his Sherlock Holmes deerstalker to deduce the answer to Judith’s question. It seems the year would have been 1932, which makes sense since Stockport Corporation purchased the estate in 1930:

Judith asks about the date of a sale notice for Stubbins Farm. Matthew Wilson was selling up his stock. The date is on the newspaper clipping – Saturday, 15 October. Matthew appears on the Electoral Register at Stubbins up to at least 1927, and the next year with a Saturday, 15 October is 1932.