Boxwood Farm
Boxwood Farm stood near the centre of Greasby from 1734 to about 1937.
The apportionments of the tithe map of 1849 show the farm as plot 21, owned by Peter Guile and occupied by John Waring.
In 1928, the historian John Brownbill drew a sketch of the farm’s houseplate - it is shown in the images below.
From Brownbill’s book(1) comes the possibility that the houseplate details represented Thomas Youds (the family name also spelt Yewds or Yeuds). The historian F.C. Beazley(2) believed that the details on the houseplate represented a branch of the Young family (also spelt Yonge).
The farm was auctioned in the 1932 sale of the Royden estate. Details from the auctioneer’s catalogue are shown in the images below.
The last tenant of Boxwood Farm was Tommy Broster, whose brother Bill lived in Mill Lane. The farm became unoccupied and the buildings deteriorated; eventually being demolished c1937. Some of the rubble was used to fill a hole in the garden of "The Heyes" in Heron Road (the continuation of Pump Lane towards Meols).
An air raid shelter was built on the Boxwood site c1939. The shelter was demolished c1967.
In May 1980 the rubble in Heron Road was unearthed and part of the Boxwood houseplate was found.
In 1985-86, Redcroft sheltered housing was built on the site of Boxwood Farm.
Notes
Boxwood Farm stood at grid reference SJ252872
(1) Brownbill, 1928 - "West Kirby and Hilbre", p295.
(2) Beazley – “Cheshire Sheaf”, Series 3, Vol 12, Dec 1915, p90.
Images
A. Boxwood Farm, photo possibly c1925.
B. View from lower end of Mill Lane - left to right - Dodd’s shop at the end of Stone Cottages (known locally as Teapot Row); Boxwood Farm; Greasby Old Hall farm outbuildings; the final Smithy.
C. The tithe map of c1849 shows the farm as plot 21.
D. Brownbill’s sketch of Boxwood Farm houseplate.
E. Auctioneer’s details of Boxwood Farm for sale in 1932.
F. Boxwood farmhouse and outbuildings are at the centre of this aerial photo, c1934. To the right is a terrace of houses called Stone Cottages (Teapot Row).
G. Boxwood houseplate found in Heron Road, Meols.
H. The Boxwood site in 1979 was totally overgrown.
I. Redcroft sheltered housing now occupies the site of Boxwood Farm.
Stone Cottages (Teapot Row) stood between Boxwood Farm and Greasby Road. The terrace was demolished in 1962 in order to straighten the road - the site of the cottages is now the tarmac of the straight road. Hence Greasby Road has moved closer to the site of Boxwood Farm.
These adverts almost certainly relate to Boxwood Farm. Between the two dates the tenant, Daniel Youd/Youds, had died. The earlier advert refers to "lease for the life of a person aged upwards of seventy years". The original lease was probably for three named lives (e.g. father and two children) and Daniel Youd(s) was the last survivor of his family. The lease would have ended when he died.
View south from Pump Lane (now Old Pump Lane).
From right - Boxwood Farm buildings, the final Smithy, stone steps (extant) to field level, outbuildings of Old Hall (extant)
There was an archaeological dig by Merseyside County Museums on the Boxwood site in 1984. A pre-16th century "substantial stone-capped drain" was discovered. It ran to the west. There is a possibility that this was the "tunnel from Greasby Old Hall" which is a local legend.
1985-86 Redcroft retirement homes now occupy the Boxwood Farm site