A Winchester College Tenancy in the Twentieth Century

Earlier years

There had been a Rocks Farm tenancy from the College since the Eighteenth Century. The Manorial Court Roll records the grant in 1764 to Henry Watts (senior), as copyholder, of a dwelling with appurtenances, pasture for two horses, seven beasts (cows) and 108 sheep and other property in the Sydling Valley.

By 1795, the Roll records the presence (as part of the entry for Rocks Farm)  of a house and garden and orchard on what is today the site of Rocks Farmhouse and Lavender Cottage in East Street.

This property seems to have passed through at least three generations of the Watts family until in 1807 the tenancy was granted to Matthew Devenish. In the Nineteenth Century, the property passed through the hands of generations of the Devenish family with the brief reappearance of George Frederick Watts in 1845 before being granted to Thomas Hole that same year. This pattern of landholding moving in and out of and between established Sydling families seems to have continued into the Twentieth Century so that in 1903 the tenancy was granted to Thomas’s grandson, Richard Hole.

In terms of landholding structures and agricultural techniques, this was a period of major change – for example there were the Agricultural Revolution of the late Eighteenth Century and the arrival in the Sydling Valley of the enclosures of common land with the Enclosures Act of 1819. In addition, the copyhold structure was falling out of use encouraged by a series of Copyhold Acts and culminating with the abolition of copyhold in 1925.

The College as landlord

What was it like to be a tenant farmer in the Sydling Valley  and, in particular, a tenant of the College in the Twentieth Century? Were the farms financially viable? Was the College a good landlord?

 

This account is episodic and anecdotal. It is free from statistics or informed economic analysis. Accordingly, the result is impressionistic, and the impression given is mixed. The College archives contain the College Bursar’s / estate manager’s notes and correspondence with Leonard Lock (the tenant of Rock Farm from 1936 to 1976) and others. The notes address the tenant’s demands for repairs or improvements to basic facilities. They do not suggest that either the tenant or the landlord was experiencing the kind of generous income to permit substantial investment in new technologies or facilities  or more comfortable living conditions. The 1930s may have been tough times and then there was the War but it may just be that 70 acres was too small a farm to thrive in the Sydling Valley at that time.

From the College Bursar’s Sydling  audit notes

1934

-applicants for the tenancy being considered – J.C. Crabb (SSN for his brother-in-law), R. Poate (Grimstone) and H.F. Terrell (for his son)

- condition of cowstable (notice served by sanitary inspector 8 August 1934)

-Tenant asked for milking shed.

 

1935

-Build milking shed in SE corner of Rocks Farm field for 14 cows (? Iron in stock)

-Footbridge (stone given by Mrs Ashburnam), yard doors and one new post

And from instructions to the builder, Mr Pitfield concerning Rock’s Farm cowpen

-Reconstruct the flooring so as to make standings to 5 feet, channel 2 feet wide and cover floor with 3 inches of concrete

-Make drain to discharge to outside buildings

-Repair boarding at back of mangers

-Roof on lean-to at back

1940

-Barn roof (north side) leaking badly (Roman tiles)

-Barn roof (north side) needs stripping (Roman tiles)

-Cooling house for Mr Lock “down the road”

1941

-Barn roof (February)

-Barn roof (November)

 

Correspondence with Mr Lock

30th August 1946 – Lock writes concerning acquisition of additional land (small hill of 20 acres adjoining Rocks Farm)

23rd October 1946 – College replies to Lock agreeing the addition of 8 acres to Lock’s tenancy

 

29th  October 1946 -Lock agrees to lesser land parcel and mentions need to repair his leaking thatch

4th November 1946 – College replies to Lock that it is the tenant’s responsibility to keep the thatch in good condition and requires Lock to instruct the thatcher to see that this is done

15th September 1952 – College to Lock confirming agreement for Lock to surrender field of around 2 acres and receive in its place, 2 Dollens Farm fields of around 2.7 acres  with a reduction of rent to £120 p.a

16th February 1953 – College to Lock about the building of a new shed for calves. To quote:

“ I am writing to confirm that instructions have now been given to Mr. Barter to erect a small shed for your calves in the paddock to the north of your tractor shed. I shall be obliged if you will clear this site as quickly as possible because I would like Mr. Barter to get on with this job in the near future. And I understand that Mr Pink has already spoken to you about clearing away the rubble etc. from this paddock, and also about demolishing the present calf shed in the adjoining paddock.”

20th June 1953 – Lock to College agreeing rent increase to £124 p.a. (attributable to the provision by the College of mains water supplies to the farmhouse and cowstall)

1st and 9th December 1955 - College to Lock with confirmation of plans for work to buildings in order to bring them up to the standards required by the County Milk Production officer

22nd October 1959 – Notice from MAFF to Lock detailing works required to milking premises. To quote:

“With reference to my visit of 19th October 1959 I write to confirm the advisory recommendations in respect of the milking premises:-

Milking house

All walls to be covered with flat metal sheeting up to a height of 4’6” and the wooden boards of the manger front to be replaced with concrete, cement rendered smooth.

 

As the wooden tie poles are loose; they should be removed and replaced with concrete stall divisions. If allowed to remain they must be made quite firm and tar varnished.

 

The concrete approach to be extended to take in the area around the doorway and it would be advisable to construct door here and extend the wall of the milking house accordingly to prevent the rain beating in.

 

Milk Room

A new milk room built near the milking house would be most desirable and if it is decided to go ahead with this aspect, a further visit can be paid to discuss your proposals.”

 

16th December 1959 – College to Mr Barter (builder resident at Ham Farm) to undertake the milking premises improvement works at Rocks Farm

18th December 1959 – Lock to College agreeing rent increase to £250 p.a

6th April 1961 – College to Lock suggesting Rocks Farm no longer viable without amalgamation with another property. To quote:

 

“I have been giving careful thought to the future of your tenancy since Mr Fiennes and I inspected Rocks Farm recently, and it is only right that you should know my views, particularly as you have been a College tenant for so many years.

 

It is apparent that College, when rearranging farm boundaries at Sydling in post war years, has left you in possession of Rocks Farm as a “one-man” holding: but, had you not then been the tenant, it is most probable that Rocks Farm would not now exist as a separate entity.

 

It would appear to me that your present acreage, having regard to the general layout of the farm, is too large for you to maintain on your own but too small for you to afford the labour and equipment needed to maintain it to a proper standard; but to reduce the acreage would undoubtedly lower the volume of production from the holding to a level which might well prove unprofitable.

 

Under the terms of the tenancy agreement you are required to keep the buildings in repair (certain materials being provided by the College)’but there are many parts of your buildings which need urgent attention. Again, some of your fields and some hedges and gates are in a very poor condition and will require considerable expenditure to put them right.

Having regard to the present trend of farming economics and the general difficulties inherent in small acreage dairy farms,  Mr Fiennes and I concluded that, at an appropriate time, the principles of good estate management would require that Rocks Farm should be amalgamated with adjacent holdings.

I am writing to you now, not to make any definite suggestion about the future, but simply to let you know what my views are with regard to Rocks Farm. You may like to bear these remarks in mind when considering your programme of work for the immediate future. You should certainly consider them seriously, I suggest, when thinking further ahead.”

 

2nd June 1965 – College to Lock proposing rent increase to £400 p.a; again suggesting viability concerns

22nd May 1970 – rent to be increased to £450 p.a; discussion of Lock surrendering tenancy in 2 or 3 years. To quote”

“You mentioned in conversation that you would probably be giving your tenancy of Rocks Farm in 2 or 3 years time, and of course I shall be willing to discuss the matter with you as soon as you come to a definite decision about the date. In the meantime though, I do urge you to consider and take what steps you think are advisable to find alternative accommodation for yourself and your family when the time comes to give up your present house. At the present time I can hold out no promise to you of accommodation in another College house; as you know we have very few houses left in the village which are not used as farm cottages. If it does become possible to help you in this matter I will of course let you know.”

 

27th October 1975 – Ensors (valuers) to College suggesting terms for Lock’s surrender of tenancy. To quote:

 

“Having recently inspected the land it appears in quite good heart for its class, some hedging is required but Mr Lock has every intention of doing much of this during the coming winter. However, bearing in mind the fact that he received less than £30 for dilapidations on entry, -we acted for the outgoer Mr J Pitts-and that he has agreed to surrender voluntarily, I hope that the College will treat him leniently on outgoing and be prepared to remit at least some of the dilapidations. I also understand that under the Farm Amalgamation Scheme 1973 the College will receive a payment of £12.50 per acre. With this in mind, may I respectfully suggest the following terms:-

1.Outgoer to be liable for dilapidations to house, buildings and land in the normal way.

2.No dilapidations for hedges and ditches but outgoer to trim hedge normally trimmed this coming winter.

3. In return for concession in 2 above, Mr Lock would not make any claim for Unexhausted and Residual Manurial Values.

I trust you will consider the foregoing suggestions reasonable in view of Mr Lock’s long association as tenant of the College.”

 

6th April 1976 – Lock to College expressing disappointment about the attitude of the College. To quote:

“Dear Sir

After seeing Mr Pink the other day I understand I was to make an offer for the cottage next door to us.

Mr Gill of Ensors came out to see me and we looked the cottage over and what he told me he thought it was worth I am not interested….

If the College haven’t anything to offer me to rent in the village after 41 year(s) as a tenant I shall have to rely on the Council for accommodation.”

 

4th May 1976 – College to Lock confirming arrangements for Lock’s departure but also his obligation to make good the thatch and other repairs before vacating

5th May 1976 – College to Mr Bryant of Lamperts Farm confirming merger of Rocks Farm (but not farmhouse) with Lamperts Farm

23rd June 1976 – College to Lock about arrangements for the sale of Rocks Farmhouse. To quote:

“Meanwhile I’d like to make some progress in arranging the sale of Rocks Farmhouse with the neighbouring thatched cottage and, in this connection, I would appreciate your co-operation in allowing the Auctioneers to inspect the house as a matter of some urgency to prepare the sale particulars, then subsequently to display “For Sale” notices and, possibly, to permit prospective purchasers to inspect by appointment.”

 

26th January 1978 – Conveyance from College to David Williams of 1A East Street (Rocks Farmhouse) for £20,000 . Today, the conveyed plot of land and buildings (edged in red on the plan below) provides four comfortable properties on East Street. None of the occupants of these properties is engaged in agriculture.