Heartbreaking Diary Entry Did Amanda Owen Find in Her New Farmhouse?

Ever wondered what stories an old house might be hiding? For Amanda Owen and her family, their latest renovation project revealed something incredibly emotional. On a repeat episode of the Channel 4 series Our Farm Next Door, aired on 09 Dec 2025, viewers watched a moment that stopped Amanda in her tracks.

While exploring the history of their new property, Amanda and her daughter Clemmie uncovered a diary containing a heartbreaking entry from the 1800s. It connected them directly to a former homeowner’s devastating family loss and left Amanda visibly moved.

A new chapter with an old story

Fans of Our Yorkshire Farm are used to seeing the Owen family take on challenges, but Our Farm Next Door goes even deeper. This series follows the ambitious restoration of a crumbling farmhouse beside Ravenseat Farm. The Owens plan to turn it into a modern family home while respecting its long history. The farmhouse, known locally as Anty John’s, is centuries old and full of hidden stories. This restoration became not just a building project but a journey into the lives of the people who once lived there.

Uncovering a connection to the past

To learn more about the farmhouse and its previous occupants, Amanda brought in historian Derek. He discovered a diary belonging to a man named Anthony Clarkson who lived there long ago. While showing the diary to Clemmie, he pointed out a touching coincidence.

He told her, "Anthony Clarkson, whom you know all about. He used to stay with his brothers in some of the cottages here in Stonesdale. You're a family of nine children, aren't you? He was a family of nine as well." The shared family size created an unexpected and personal link between the Owens and the Clarksons.

The emotional weight of history

Seeing the actual diary was a powerful moment. Derek presented the genuine original, and Amanda reflected on the significance of holding something written centuries earlier. She said, "That's the first time Clem has actually seen the original. It's been a long time getting to this place. I feel like the connection now will be even stronger."

Derek explained that Anthony’s life took a dramatic turn when his father died in 1818. This tragedy brought Anthony back home. Amanda responded quietly, "That brought him back, didn't it?" She imagined the shock Anthony must have felt: "Can you imagine that? He's away from his school teaching, and he finds out his dad has died."

Reading the heartbreaking diary entry

With faded ink and old-fashioned handwriting, the diary was difficult to read. Using a magnifying glass, Derek found a key entry and handed the book to Amanda. She read aloud: "So, Friday, the sixth of February, I went up and met my nephew, John. He came with the melancholy news of my father's death. He died this morning, about seven o'clock." In just a few lines, a two-century-old heartbreak came to life. The discovery confirmed the family tragedy that had shaped Anthony Clarkson’s life.

Making sense of the family loss

The entry deeply affected Amanda. It was no longer just history. She said, "So it obviously wasn't expected. It was a big surprise, a shock." Suddenly, the story of Anthony’s return made sense. She reflected on the burden he faced: "Oh, so all of a sudden he has to come back and start making decisions about what's going to happen to his father's legacy, basically, what's going to happen to the farm." Amanda then connected it directly to the home they are restoring: "His dad dying. He comes back, and Anthony has got what we call Anty John's."

This emotional discovery created a meaningful bond between the Owen family and the people who lived in the farmhouse before them. It reminded everyone watching that a house is more than beams and stone. It holds stories of families, hardships, love and loss. The diary entry offered a deeply human glimpse into the past and added even more purpose to the restoration of the Owens’ new home.