You are right as it doesn't have a good feel to it. That place has certainly seen better days, but now it's way past it's prime. But at least you had time out and golden moments with the family and the animals were a distraction from that run down feel.
It was nice to be out and about, but I am not sure if I will take anyone to visit that place again. Might be a different adventure in the winter :)
We also have many areas with plots of lands like that and it is normally when the owners are old that the places start to fall apart. But then again some others are in pristine condition and they are beauty to behold.