A WINSFORD woman who spent many years running a farm with her husband has recalled memories of life farming and living in the oldest building in the town.

Margaret Sherwin, 78, of Fearnleigh Close, spent much of her life with Arthur on Littler Grange Farm before houses were built on it in the 1960s.

Margaret believes the farmhouse, which was built in the 1500s and is now used as a children's nursery, is the oldest building in Winsford.

She said: "It dates from the 1500s and I have been told there is a priest's hole in there somewhere but I never found it.

"It is a lovely building and I spent many happy years there farming with my husband."

Margaret stayed on the farm until the 1960s raising her three children and said it was a wonderful way of life.

"It wasn't really hard work because if something is pleasurable then it is never hard work," she said.

"My children loved growing up on the farm and it was a sad day when we left.

"But we were forced off the farm because we were only renting it and people wanted to build houses on it.

"I think that's what people call progress."

One of the low points of Margaret's time on the farm was when they were hit by a foot and mouth epidemic in the 1960s.

She said: "It was devastating for us financially.

"It took us a long time to get over it because the compensation we received only covered half of our stock.

"But we carried on because we loved it and when we bought our first cow again it was a very happy day."

Margaret now lives in one of the homes built on the land that her husband used to farm.

She said: "It is such a shame when I look round Winsford today because I can still remember how it used to be.

"But I have some very fond memories and wouldn't change a thing."

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