Sir ROBERT ‘BOB’ ROPNER
1921-2004
North Yorkshire Farmer
MOVED CONTENTS OF ENTIRE FARM BY RAIL
Pigs, cattle, hens, tractors, hay bales, a thresher, motor cars and more packed 45 train
carriages for the 281 rail miles to Hartfield in 1950
A short British Transport film from 1952 beautifully records the logistical feat of relocating a whole
farm, belonging to Robert Douglas Ropner, from one end of the country to the other.
Ian Pearce of the Kirby, Great Broughton and Ingleby Greenhow Local History Group writes that
it “showed the owner of White House Farm, Skutterskelfe, moving all the machinery and all the
livestock of his farm as well as household goods and furniture by train from Stokesley Station to
Hartfield Station in Sussex and then taking over Perryhill Farm, Sussex… The move took place in
1950 in December and there was snow throughout the journey, which was overnight and took 18hrs
30 mins. 50 wagons were needed and the train was divided into 2 at some point on the journey, the
second half following later. The film was narrated by A. G. Street and released in 1952.”
The farm was part of the Skutterskelfe estate owned by the Ropner family of shipbuilders and
shipowners, and the farmer was no ordinary North Yorkshire farmer but Bob Ropner, a member
of the family. The farm bailiff… Henry Hill… was the only employee from North Yorkshire to move
permanently south with the farm. He and his family settled in the south and stayed there even after
Bob Ropner gave up farming himself in 1954.
Ropner then started a catering business, but it had little success and he re-located with his family
to Switzerland. Inspector Barr, who was the British Rail manager of the journey, returned to
Middlesbrough after completing the transfer and the farm workers – looking after the cattle, bull,
pigs, ducks, chickens and cat – all returned home to North Yorkshire.”
The farmer Robert Douglas Ropner married to Patricia K. Schofield in 1943, they had a son called
Robert C. in 1949 who appeared in the film as a baby.
Robert’s grandfather, the original Sir Robert Ropner (1838-1924) was born in Magdeburg, lost his
parents to cholera, went to sea but suffered from seasickness and so abandoned his sailing career
when he arrived at Hartlepool. There he settled, marrying a local baker’s daughter and gradually
building up his business interests to become a shipping magnate.”
NOTES/LINKS
WATCH at BFI for FREE here (17 mins):
https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-farmer-moving-south-1952-online
