RichardB Posted October 4, 2007 Share Posted October 4, 2007 http://www.utopia-britannica.org.uk/pages/Ruskinland.htm Extract : On the hills above Sheffield "A small body - about a dozen - of men calling themselves Communists, mostly great talkers, had joined together with the idea of establishing themselves on the land somewhere; and I have understood that it was at their insistence that John Ruskin bought the small farm (of thirteen acres or so) at Totley near Sheffield, which he afterwards made over to St George's Guild " Edward Carpenter. The Totley Colony went through various changes starting off as an alloment scheme turning into a land colony with a dozen members and finally being taken over by Ruskin's head gardener from Brantwood as ' Mickley Botanical Gardens' to try and show `the best methods of managing fruit-trees in the climate of northern England…..’ Before being sold. Totley Colony Totley Colony 1876 - 188? FOUNDER/LEADER: John Ruskin 13-acre farm purchased by Ruskin's St George’s Guild for a group of Sheffield workmen. Run initially as an allotment scheme, then as a land colony with around 12 members. There were numerous arguments and disagreement that finally sank the scheme. Still known as St George's Farm. Referred to variously, even by Ruskin himself, as Abbeyfield Allotments, Mickley Botanical Gardens & Totley Colony. GRID REF: SK303801 REF: Alt Com 19th Cent Eng / Heavens Below/Designing Utopia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madannie77 Posted August 22, 2014 Share Posted August 22, 2014 (I thought I had seen a link to this on the forum, but I can't find it, so....) BBC Radio 4 Making History programme on John Ruskin's Commune from November 2008: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/history/making_history/making_history_20081125.shtml Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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