Life at Pinbury

Pinbury Park is a large house part of which dates back at least to the eleventh century. It stands half way down a hill looking south across the valley of the River Frome. The grounds include a magnificent avenue of ancient yew trees known as ‘The Nun’s Walk’. It was sold to the Bathurst family in 1788 and leased to a farmer who worked the land but neglected the house. It fell into disrepair but Gimson and the Barnsleys were captivated by the house and its magical setting. They were able to negotiate a repairing lease of £75 a year which made them responsible for the restoration and upkeep of the house.

The three men moved to Pinbury early in the spring of 1894. Mr Gardiner who farmed the adjoining land took over the farm and Ernest Barnsley built a cottage on site for his stockman. He himself moved into the main farmhouse with his wife Alice and two daughters. He was the business man of the enterprise and he enjoyed developing the new social contacts. The two batchelors, Gimson and Sidney Barnsley, adapted outbuildings into living accommodation. Gimson described their initial way of life as ‘picnicy’. In April 1894 he responded to his sister Maggie’s enquiries:

‘You ask how our cooking is getting on. We have got as far as Welsh Rabbit and fried onions. We light the fire at about 7.30 in the evening and cook ourselves little suppers. And not only that, we eat them, and wash up as well. I have often wondered why so many men felt such a strong desire for a smoke after a meal. It is because they don’t wash up. With me it now takes the place of the cigarette.’

Shortly after their move Gimson asked his cousin, Lucy Morley, to join them and look after the housekeeping. She had been brought up on a farm in Lincolnshire and a congenital problem had made her deaf at the age of nineteen. She was a keen supporter of the three men’s work and in 1895 she and Sidney Barnsley were married. At Pinbury they kept goats and chickens, grew some of their own vegetables, baked bread in a large brick oven, and brewed cider. Both Gimson and Sidney Barnsley had dogs; taking them for walks provided a regular opportunity to observe nature at first hand.