"Shippon" is a Northern England term and more commonly throughout the world we may well call them Cowsheds.

Further South in the UK they are called Byres if any farmer reading this has another name for them please email me and I will add it.

In 1970 there were 5 separate shippons three containing six cows, one ten cows, and one thirty six cows giving 64 in total.

Cows kept this way are usually chained up in the stalls by the neck and would spend most of the winter like this. Here they were milked, originally by hand.

Later milking was done with this “bucket Unit” pictured here. Some parts you will recognise as similar to that we use today in the milking parlour.

The main feed was often hay, which was stored above or in the Dutch barn.

Cleaning out was with wheelbarrow and shovel and 3 cows will produce 1 LARGE barrow full over 24 hours believe me I DO know.

Each cow had its own individual place and in the summer months they would still go to their respective shippons and stalls at milking time.

This picture shows a cow in the big Shippon, which is now the parlour and collecting yard.

The milk was collected in the stainless steel bucket and when the cow was milked it was tipped into the churn (as modelled here by Sarah now used as a garden seat).

 

If you look at the present day map you will see that they have become:

The veterinary stalls, the parlour and collecting yard, dairy, and the heifer cubical.

 

 

Previous Page / Home page