Donn's faRM / Broadmead Farm

Donn'S fARM

A small dairy farm in Yeovil Marsh, later called Broadmead Farm

 

Donn's Farm, in Yeovil Marsh, was named for the Donn family who were the owners.

At the time of the 1846 Tithe Apportionment, the owner was Robert Donn of Stoke sub Hamdon and the tenant was Thomas Dauncey.

Thomas Dauncey (1810-1871) was born in South Barrow in 1810 and baptised there on 16 September 1810 and the register noted that he was "six weeks old". He was the son of Charles Dauncey (1786-1846) and his first wife Sarah. In 1844 they had been living in Hornblotton, Somerset, where their son Frederick had been born but by 1846 they were living at Donn's Farm. In the 1851 census, Thomas gave his occupation as "Farmer of 100 acres Employing 4 men" although the farm was actually only around 70 acres. He presumably added a few fields during the next few years, since in his entry for the 1861 census he gave his occupation as "Farmer of 115 Acres, employing 3 men & 1 boy". Thomas Dauncey died at the farm on 2 April 1871.

During the summer of 1919 a number of small farms in Yeovil Marsh were sold off, including Donn's Farm, which by this time had been re-named as Broadmead Farm. It was owned by the Messiter family. At the time of the 1919 sale, the total acreage of Broadmead Farm was 70a 1r 18p and is shown shaded deep pink on the plan below for the farm as at 1846, with additional parcels shaded a lighter pink as at 1919. The 70 acres included some 20 acres in four parcels in the Parish of Mudford and therefore not included here.

The sale particulars described the farm as follows:

"Lot 2 - The Exceptionally Rich Dairy Holding known as Broadmead Farm, Yeovil Marsh... comprising a commodious, well built Farm House of Brick with slated roof containing the following accommodation :- On First Floor - 4 Bedrooms, Cheese Room, Landing and stairs. On Ground Floor :- Entrance Porch and Hall, Dining Room, Drawing Room, Kitchen, Pantry, Dairy, Back Hall, Furnace House, Scullery and Cider Cellar, E.C. (in garden). Small flower and Good Kitchen Garden.

The Water Supply is of Excellent Quality and Ample for all requirements and is laid on to a Storage Cistern in the House. The supply is laid on from Carent's Farm, Lot 1, and a yearly rental of £5 is payable to the purchaser of Lot 1 in respect thereof.

The well built Homestead comprises the following, mostly built of stone and brick with tiled roofs:- 3 bay open shed with loft over, Trap House, Cake Store, Mixing House, Bull House, Lean-to Implement Shed, Cowstall for 9 with forebay, Calf Pen, Cowstall for 18 with forebay, 3-stall Stable, 3 piggeries and Mixing House. In the Farm Yard is a Stone Water Trough with supply laid on. In Kitchen Garden is a Well with Pump.

Near the Homestead are two Productive Orchards extending to about 2 acres, both well stocked with healthy fruit trees. The remainder of the Farm is divided into convenient enclosures of deep feeding, well watered Meadow and Pasture with about 6 acres of productive Arable. The whole extending to an area of 70a 1r 18p."

For details on historic land measurement (ie acres, roods and perches) click here.

 

MAP






Donn's Farm is shown in the deeper pink colour. By the time of the 1919 sale of the six Marsh farms, Donn's Farm had been renamed Broadmead Farm and the three paler pink parcels of land had been added.