Culverton Farm

From Lacey Green History

click Farms for a list of other local farms

click Farming pre 1823 for this era

click Merton College for other farms and woods owned by them

Research by Joan West

Culverton Farm is in the hamlet of Culverton. It was of more importance in the past. in 1247 it was mentioned as a village and in the 14th century for its water mill. In 1633-4 it was mention as a manor with the name of 'Frogmore'.

It was part of the Manor of Princes Risborough when it was sold

The Lord of the Manor of Princes Risborough, was in financial difficulty and from about 1808 onwards he sold to Lord George Henry Cavendish, later Lord Burlington, most of the Manor Farms including Culverton Farm, Row Farm (Wardrobes), Brimmers Farm, The Old House, and Stocken Farm, all in the Upper Hamlets of Princes Risborough   They were all tenanted.    Lord Cavendish never lived locally and all the farms continued to be tenanted.

1841 CENSUS, tenant. Thomas Grace, 60, Sarah 55, Thomas Grace 20, Ann, 20, James Grace 15, Rebecca, 15, Kathrine, 15, Mary, 10.

Culverton Farm Auction Details 01.jpg
Culverton Farm Auction Details 02.jpg

PURCHASE by MERTON COLLEGE of OXFORD

SALE. 15th JUNE 1853. Sale by Auction, at Garraway's Coffee House, 'Change Alley, Cornhill, London, by Farebrother, Clark & Lye. click 1853 Auction for other properties sold in the same sale.

Schedule. Culverton Farm, with good & substantial Farm House, Garden, Orchard, Farm Yards and about SIX HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SIX ACRES of Arable and Pasture Land, in the occupation of the representatives of the late Mr John Eggleton, at five hundred pounds per annum. Farm was purchased by Merton College of Oxford and the farm continued to be let.

By 1875 the tenant of Culverton Farm was Joseph Eggleton. Joseph died in 1897. His widow Eliza continued there until her death in 1905. click Joseph & Eliza Eggleton for more.

Culverton Farm Auction Details 03.jpg

SALE 28th SEPTEMBER 1945. CATALOGUE. CULVERTON FARM.  SALE BY AUCTION. FOR  MERTON COLLEGE, OXFORD

SALE BY AUCTION. FOR  MERTON COLLEGE, OXFORD (a copy of the sale advertisement is archived in Lacey Green Village Hall

An Excellent Dairying and Mixed farm of about 331acres, 3 roods 28 poles, with Superior Modernised Farmhouse and Ample Buildings; Four Cottages near the Homestead and a Pair of Modern Cottages, being nos.1 and 2 Icknield Way in O.S. no 460.

The farm is intersected by the Princes Risborough – Wycombe Road in which main water is laid and main electricity is available. (not connected)

FARMHOUSE

Culverton Farmhouse. Photo from the sale catalogue 1945

The farmhouse is built of brick, flint and stucco faced, with blue slated roof and contains the following. :-

Culverton Farm semi-detached cottages, opposite the farmhouse. Photo from the sale catalogue 1945.

Entrance Hall with wood block floor and fireplace (21 ft by 12 ft); Cloak Room; Dining Room with brick fireplace and serving hatch (19 ft by 13 ft); Breakfast Room (16 ft by 13 ft) with modern fireplace; Kitchen with sink (h & c) with “Herald” range and “Ideal” boiler giving domestic hot water supply; Dairy, etc.   Five good bedrooms; Bathroom (h & c) and separate W.C.

MAIN ELECTRIC LIGHT. . . . . . . MAIN DRAINAGE. . . . . . . TELEPHONE CONNECTED. . . . . . . MAIN WATER AVAILABLE

The farm buildings include:   Range of brick, flint and tiled Loose Boxes (the partitions, mangers and hay racks belong to the tenant);   Cart-Horse stable for 5; Chaff House; brick and blue-slated building comprising Garage and Oil Store with Loft over; Cooling Shed; Smithy; 5-bay brick and tiled Implement Shed; 9-bay galvanised Dutch Barn; range of brick, timber and galvanised buildings affording accommodation for 50 cows, with Fodder Store; brick and slated and part tiled Cow House for 29.   On the north side of the main yard is a range is a range of flint, timber and tiled Loose Boxes, the fronts, doors and partitions of which belong to the tenant.   The Loose Boxes in the centre of the cattle yard, a timber and galvanised Store near the cooling house, detached timber store near the Dutch barn and about half the cow-house fittings also belong to the tenant.

The water supply is from a well by electric pump to a storage tank in the farm-buildings, and thence by gravitation to house and yard.

BUILDING LAND The farm includes a considerable area of choice BUILDING LAND, part O.S. No 447

SALE DETAILS OF FIELDS giving o.s. number, field name, acreage, crop

256 Bottom Field 21,315 arable

part 258 Long Hand Furlong 24,224 arable

part 424 Shootacre Bank 12.708 pasture

part 431 Musselwells 2.424 pasture

437 Parishes Hill 9.888 pasture

438 Upper & Lower Hog Troughs 41.142 pasture

part 439 Ten Acres 27.421 pasture

440 The Leys 2.564 pasture

443 Orchard 0.422 pasture

part 444 House Buildings & 4 Cottages 3.145

445 Back Meadow 4.418 pasture

446 Bennels Close & Whites Close 9.222 pasture

part 446 Bennels Close & Whites Close 8.534 pasture

part 447 Back Side 31.231 pasture

part 448 Old Stream Bed 0.125

460 The Furlong 27.618 pasture

462 Ball Field 23.742 pasture

467 Long Hedge & Barbers Pits 35.384 pasture

58 Sixteen & Eleven Acres 39.575 arable

59 Sixteen & Eleven Acres 5.856 arable

461 Pyrtle Wood & Spring .968

Tithe Annuity Redemption £11 - 10s -6d. Rent £287 per annum

N.B

The two cottages Nos 1 and 2 Icknield Way, part of this lot, were built under the provisions of the Housing (Rural Workers') Act 1926, and are subject to the terms of this Act, a payment in respect of the two cottages being made by the High Wycombe Rural District Council up to the 1st October, 1979, of which six instalments have been paid to the Vendors to the 1st October 1945. The purchaser will be entitled to receive these annual instalments from this last named date. Built 1939..   

27th September 1945. The tenants of Culverton Farm were Messrs C.A. and B.H. Garner and Miss V.L. Garner, on a yearly Michaelmas tenancy, apportioned rental £287 per annum.

TENANTS PURCHASE CULVERTON FARM at AUCTION SALE by MERTON COLLEGE

28th September 1945.   Messrs Charles Aubrey Garner and Bertie Harold Garner and Miss Violet Lily Garner, the tenants, purchased Culverton Farm for £7,000.

NOTE

Charles Aubrey, 1854-1930, Bertie Harold, 1878-1974, and Violet Lily, 1885-1970 were siblings, trading as Messrs C.A.and B.H.Garner, although Charles Aubrey had already died.

1851 CENSUS John Eggleton, 65, farmer of 296 acres, employing 6 men, Ellen, nee Tapping, 49.    see wiki person. John & Ellen Eggleton.

SALE. 15th JUNE 1853. Sale by Auction, at Garraway's Coffee House, 'Change Alley, Cornhill, London, by Farebrother, Clark & Lye. click 1853 Auction

Schedule. Culverton Farm, with good & substantial Farm House, Garden, Orchard, Farm Yards and about SIX HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SIX ACRES of Arable and Pasture Land, in the occupation of the representatives of the late Mr John Eggleton, at five hundred pounds per annum.

1861 CENSUS. Ellen Eggleton, 59, widow of John, click John & Ellen Eggleton farmer, 606 acres, 20 men, 9 boys, George, son, farm steward.

1871 CENSUS. Joseph Eggleton, 38, son of John and Ellen, farmer, 700 acres, 17 labourers, 9 boys, Eliza, 39, born Great Missenden, 5 children

1881 CENSUS. Joseph Eggleton 48, farmer 635 acres, 15 men, 8 boys, Eliza 49, 4 children, 1 grandchild.

1891 CENSUS. Joseph Eggleton 58 farmer, Eliza 59, John, son 34, Wilfred East, 13, g.son, Gertrude Pauling 12, g.Daughter.

1901 CENSUS. Eliza Eggleton, widow of Joseph, farmer, son John, 44, single

1911 CENSUS. John Eggleton, 54, farmer, Mary Jane, 44, wife, married 1907

DEATH. Bertie Harold Garner died in 1974.

AUBREY GARNER. Bertie’s son Aubrey Edward lived and ran Culverton Farm until he died in 1995.  Ena Garner, Aubrey’s widow continued to live in the farmhouse and the land was let to R M West & Son of Stocken Farm.