Stocken Farm
From Lacey Green History
STOCKEN FARM researched and written by Joan West
1934 STOCKEN FARM SOLD BY AUCTION.
1934. Conveyance. Ernest Smith, son in law of William Saunders, purchased Stocken Farm for £3,225. It still included the large field ‘Hillocks, but the smaller field to the north of Goodacres Lane was sold off separately. (Purchased by George Hawes of Woodbyne Farm), William Saunders had built a house there, also sold separately, called Hillcrest. For more on Ernest Smith go to 1919 Wedding of Daisy Saunders & Ernest Smith
P.S. (Ed. In 1911 William Saunders had paid £3,400 for Stocken Farm. He had added the large field ‘Hillocks’. It sold, losing £175, 23 years later.
NOTE (Ed. Using Stocken Farm as an example, the following figures show what a difficult times these were for farming.
1878 sold for £8,250. 1934 sold for £3225. Losing £5,025, even though 2 houses and a large field were added.
STOCKEN FARM IS LET
Ernest Smith had his own business to run, so in1934 he let Stocken Farm to Richard West. See Dick & Hilda West. A guarantor was necessary to secure the rent as so many were defaulting in these depressed times.
In the 1939 Register (census) the occupants are recorded as Richard M West born 1911 general farmer, Hilda E West born 1910, his wife, 1 entry closed WW2, Fred Crook born 1881, father-in-law, assisting son-in-law, Marion Milchener born 1879, sister of Fred Crook, Herbert Baer born 1919 Germany, trainee plumber.
LANDLORD’S IMPROVEMENTS
Over the past years the farm had had little or nothing spent on it, and had become somewhat run down. The landlord now made useful improvements.
1. The farmhouse and some fields were connected to mains water, just newly brought to the village. This enabled milking cows to be kept.
2. A building was converted into a cowshed
3. In the house a bedroom was converted into a bathroom.
4. Three years later in 1937, he had built, two cottages for farm staff in Kiln Lane. They were called 2 & 1 Coronation Cottages. This was later changed to 1 & 2 Stocken Cottages.
WW2 AIRFIELD, STOCKEN FARM reported by Doug Tilbury
On Saturday June 6th 1944 at 6 pm, bulldozers arrived to make an airfield for Air Chief Marshall ‘Bomber’ Harris, of Bomber Command, Walters Ash. 45 acres of the flat grazing land of the farm were to be taken. The fields of the farm were bulldozed to make the airstrip. The first plane took off three mornings later. Two clumps of horse-chestnut trees and a clump of lime trees had been felled and Nanny Coopers pond was filled in. A blister hanger was erected behind the school to house the American Stinson plane of Air Chief Marshall Arthur Harris. Local lads, including Gordon May used to help push the plane into the hangar.
'Bomber' Harris ordered Andrew Oliver To inspect every Spitfire which came down in England. He used Harris's private plane, to fly to the crash sites to see if the accident was due to a fault in the wood/ glue manufacture.
The next year they took a further 21acres, which this time, included the Sports field, which was being leased from Dick West. The farm had to reduce their breeding ewes and rent more land at Waldridge Farm.
1948 LANDLORD OFFERS TO SELL
In 1948 The Landlord offered Stocken Farm, now 190 acres, including ‘Hillocks’ to Dick and Hilda West. They were encouraged to buy, by Harry Floyd, who was the grandson of William Saunders and been brought up in the house. He had his own Floyds Farm but had been lodging with Dick and Hilda. He lent them money, telling them it was an opportunity they must not miss.
DICK & HILDA WEST
Dick and Hilda West bought Stocken Farm in 1948. WW2 had brought improved farming conditions and gradually they paid off their loan from Harry Floyd. They were the owners of Stocken Farm
In 1958, on leaving Harper Adams Agricultural College, Dick and Hilda's son John came home to join them
1958 EXTRA LAND LEASED
SEE under Properties. Click Walters Ash Farm
R.M.WEST and SON
In 1960 a new partnership was formed, called ‘R. M. West and Son’.
The name remained the same when John’s wife Joan joined the partnership.
The name remained the same when John and Joan’s son, Richard joined the partnership in 1991.
The name remained the same when Richard’s wife Maxine joined the partnership.
DICK WEST DOES NOT RETIRE
In 1970 a new bungalow was built in Kiln Lane for Dick and Hilda. John and Joan, who had been living in no 2 Coronation Cottages in Kiln Lane, needed a bigger house for their growing family. A bungalow would also be much better for Hilda, who had a weak heart. Dick, Hilda, Harry and Hilda’s father moved into the bungalow. John, Joan and their children Patricia, Caroline and Richard moved into Stocken Farmhouse. Dick had not retired and still came every day to the farm.
JOHN WEST DOES NOT RETIRE
In 2005 it became obvious that Richard and Maxine, with two children, needed more bedrooms than the ’Cowshed’ could provide. Application was made and passed for a new house to be built on the Main Road for John and Joan. They moved out of the farmhouse in February 2006, and Richard and Maxine moved into the farmhouse. Maxine’s parents, Liz and Ed Phillips, moved into the ‘Cowshed’. John did not retire and still came every day to the farm.
DEATH OF JOHN WEST
John West died in July 2010. The partnership, R. M. West and Son, continues with Richard, Maxine and Joan.
| Stocken Farm | |
|---|---|
| Construction Era | |
| Type of Property | House, Farm, Land, Wood |
| Use of Property | Business |
| Locations | Lacey Green |