Farms

Village Farms : 

There were once several Farms in the village / parish  :   (more research required)

Midway Down Farm : To the north of the village off Copyhold Lane. The Midway Business Park occupies the former yard presumably.

Glebe Farm : The Farmhouse is a late C19th dwelling of Broadmayne brick with red brick dressings, large chimney stacks and clay tiled roof. This together with Little Glebe Farm was presumably originally on land assigned or endowed to St Marys Church and formed part of the benefice of the incumbent (ie the vicar's salary). Glebe Farm Cottages date from the C19th and are built of stone with flint bands, brick details under a clay tiled roof.

Little Glebe Farm : The former farmhouse here dates from the C19th. The barn has a 1722 datestone but this may not be correct ?

Grange Farm : The Grange is a large detached house of early / mid C19th date. It has stone and flint banded walls under a clay tiled roof. The present upvc windows probably replaced original sash type ones. It is understood that there was once a butcher's fronting the Farm itself. The name Grange can sometimes relate to the land once belonging to an abbey or monastery and run on behalf of these establishments by laymen.

Butt Close Farm :  Butt Close Farm Cottages (below) date from the late C19th and have flint and brick banded walls with first floor windows set into gablets. The yard behind was presumably the present Butt Farm Close. The garages to the modern development were formerly the Butt Close Barn which borders the stream and roadside. This has walls of banded flint/stone and dates from the early C19th. 

The name butt is sometimes thought to relate to archery butts dating to the C14/15th when archery practice was obligatory on Sundays ! However, it is far more likely to relate to the butts or headlands of medieval open field systems which formed winding routes between fields and frequently being held as common land gradually became rights of way.

Left : Butt Close Barn adjoining stream and main road                                                  Right : Butt Close Farm Cottages (Nos 1 & 2)

West Hill Farm : This still operational Farm is some 2kM west of the village on the north side of the A35 trunk road,

Manor Farm :  This is the largest farm in the area. The farmyard still exists and is used opposite the village school. In 2020 there are proposals to build some 32 houses on this site. The Manor Farm House is set back at the rear of the large yard that has several stone built barns. It is understood that the Farmhouse and stone barns are being retained. 

The Farmhouse  is a large Victorian stone and flint built house with a hipped tiled roof with a datestone "1890" although this probably refers to a major renovation as a building of similar size appears on the 1840 Tithe Map. 

Manor Farm Barns :  There are several surviving stone built barns in this farmyard. The largest is nearest and parallel to the main road. It probably dates from the C17th with walls of banded flint and stone and was originally thatched. It was enlarged in 1722 and bears a stone with this date. It was further enlarged and re-roofed in the late C19th. Along with the other stone barns, it is being retained within the proposed new development although its use as a "bat roost" seems to be misguided and will guarantee the decay of the roof timbers. Will the bats really stay when surrounded by houses !

Left : The large stone barn Right : Manor Farmhouse

There is a Field Barn (Grid Ref : 598 913) built of chalk blocks with brick, flint and rubble stone walls dating from mid C18th (56'x18' area) with a porch on north side. Graffiti on walls dating from 1775 !   (RCHM Vol II)